The Journey Has Begun
by RenoXanders
Summary: Moana and Maui forged a unique bond during their travels to restore Te Fiti. Reunited with the demigod after a long absence, their relationship grows. As time passes, Maui becomes part of her village. Then, tragedy strikes Motunui, and the duo are faced with an altogether different challenge to overcome. Something dark looms out beyond the reef.
1. Chapter 1 - Motunui Island

**The Journey Has Begun**

 **Chapter 1 *-Motunui Island-***

Moana has been home for four months and life has returned to normal for the island of Motunui. A group of thirty village men and women are out on a small island hopping voyage to a newly discovered island and the energy in the village is soaring.

Moana is taking a break from her lessons to go down and rest and eat on the beach at her grandmother's favorite spot. As she steps out of the foliage into the sunlight she stops cold in her tracks and drops the lunch of pulled pork, a pair of taro buns and a banana she had wrapped up in a banana leaf.

Laying on his back with his arms crossed behind his head in the midday sun is none other than Maui. The giant carved bone hook at his side is unmistakable.

Moana's eyes widen in shock. Her heart is suddenly pounding. He hasn't seemed to notice she is there yet. She is frozen as she stares at the demigod, watching his broad chest slowly rise and fall with his breath, a thin sheen of sweat shines on his thickly muscled body in the hot midday sun. She swallows hard, takes a steadying breath and lets it out. Taking a timid step closer to the napping demigod, she whispers "Maui?" It feels like it's been so long since she has seen him and it fills her with a strange electricity to just see him laying there, breathing quietly and peacefully on the sand, like he is just supposed to be there. Like he's been there all this time.

He continues to snore very softly. Moana steps closer. What is he even doing here? Is it just her, or does it look like he is a bit leaner? What is he _doing here_!? Aren't there important demigod things he should be tending to or something, instead of dozing on the beach in the middle of the day?

"Maui?" she says a bit louder this time and Maui takes a much deeper breath, yawns and stretches with a satisfied groan. Then he opens his eyes and rolls over to face Moana, leaning on his right elbow. He looks her up and down and a smile slowly splits his face.

"Heh-hey! Look who _finally_ showed up!" Maui brushes off some sand from his arms as he sits up, "You still don't look like much of a future chief, Curly." he smirks with a chuckle as he gets to his feet.

Moana lets out a peal of laughter as all of her doubts and questions flee from her mind at his typical comment and charming smile. "Maui!" She runs over to the demigod with open arms, colliding roughly with his big chest and pressing close with everything she has.

"Oof," His thick arms wrap welcomely around her shoulders and he chuckles. "Hey kid..." A few moments of elated silence pass as Moana just hugs Maui and gets lost in the joy of seeing the mischevious demigod again. She doesn't even care that her face is pressed against his broad sweaty chest. His sun-warmed skin makes her feel like she is being hugged by the actual sun. His heart beats like a steadily pounding to'ere drum in her ear almost as if to remind her that, yes, he is real and he's here and she's hugging him. The calm rhythm of his heart vibrates in the fibers of her soul, and the feeling surrounds her thickly and for a few endless moments she is lost in the _rightness_ of it. Strangely, Moana feels… _whole_. The _manawataki_ , the rhythm of life that flows through her people and defines their songs that are as fundamental to her as breathing is echoed in the steady beating of his big heart. This revelation rises sudden and unbidden, the meaning of it all so foreign to her.

Awareness returns to her with a wash of goosebumps as a stiff breeze to teases her hair. She stores away her unusual thoughts for a later time when a clear head may lend some insight. For now, she just can't believe her best friend came back! To her island! She just can't stop smiling. "Missed you too," His voice rumbles softly in his chest and Moana laughs again.

Moana at last pulls back after one last good squeeze and some of her hair has stuck to his sweaty chest and she giggles as she pulls it away and tucks it back behind her ear. She looks up into his eyes. He looks down and smiles back and she just shakes her head in disbelief. "I never thought I would see you again, after that first voyage, you didn't show up anymore when I travelled."

Maui takes both her shoulders solidly in his big hands and regards her, his expression light, but serious, "What, you think I would forget about my number one fan? Gimme a break, kid!" A warm breeze kicks up out of nowhere and swirls around them, blowing their hair towards the sea. He musses the top of her head with a laugh. "also, I recently heard you had a birthday coming up." The demigod regards her with a smirk and a raised brow, "I don't miss luaus, at least not if I can help it. Gotta maintain the demi-bod, if ya know what I mean." He gives his signature grin with an eyebrow raised and he flexes his muscles to show off and Moana laughs through her darkening blush. "And of course, it would make me a bad friend if I missed yours."

"True…" _and... you're looking great I might add!_ Moana thinks to herself. "Wait… how did you even know about my birthday, I don't remember ever telling you?" Moana challenges as she and Maui walk over to her partially scattered lunch and she scoops it up with Maui's help.

"Your Gramma Tala, her spirit actually. I like her attitude. She's a real energetic woman." He sneaks a taste of some of her pork and moans through his mouthful in staunch approval. He finishes chewing and swallows, "Mmmh… You know, she's persistent. Don't even know how she found me, but she did. Gave me a talking to about a few things, but ultimately she thanked me." His smile is a _little_ smug.

Moana smiles reminiscently as Maui talks about her grandmother. "sounds like Gramma Tala. See? Didn't I tell you that you'd be a 'hero to all' again?"

Maui shrugs, "Well, I mean… yeah," he chuckles and takes another big pinch of pulled pork between his thumb and forefinger and tosses it in his mouth, "Thif porp if fo goob!" He says through his mouthful.

Moana's eyes go wide and she laughs, "Hey, that's my lunch! Jeez, what is it with you and food?" Maui makes an innocent and unsure frown and shrugs. Moana rolls her eyes, "well, guess we ought to go back up and get you fed if I'm gonna eat at all today!"

Maui laughs, wipes his mouth on the back of his hand and his eyes go wide, "Whup! Almost forgot…" he runs back to grab his hook, lifting it with an effortless twirl and rests it across his shoulders. With an easy smile he rejoins Moana and they walk back up to her village. Some of the villagers they pass as they make their way through the taro fields stop what they are doing to stare at the thickly muscled and heavily tattooed man following Moana. To her relief, not a single one stops her, they just go about their business, not questioning the Chief's daughter.

Moana and Maui reach her fale and she asks him to wait outside for a moment while she goes to find her dad. Maui obliges happily, planting the curve of his hook in the rich earth and leaning on its handle as he brushes off some sand from his legs.

Taking a preparatory deep breath, Moana enters her family fale and walks over to her dad. He is folding tapa with his back to her and she hesitates, trying to think of what to say when he suddenly turns around and crosses his arms with a smile. "Alright, Moana. What is it this time? You want a new boat built so you can go find us some more islands? Another fale for storage? A new field to cultivate kukui trees?" Moana can't help biting her lower lip through a barely contained smile, sometimes her father is the most hilarious man.

She giggles, "No dad, it's a lot simpler than that. I want you to meet someone and I was hoping we could give him lunch?"

As soon as the word 'him' left Moana's lips, her father's mind is filled with thoughts of the future, ' _Aue! Perhaps she has at last found a boyfriend! A handsome, sturdy husband to raise a family with… Someone that will make this village proud!_ ' "Absolutely! Where is he, I'll have lunch prepared immediately!" Before Moana can even answer, let alone react, Tui is rushing out of the fale. He shoves the tapa curtain aside and steps out into the sun.

Moana is given pause at his sudden eagerness, and rushes to try and beat him outside so that she may give her father a proper introduction to the demigod. But she is too slow, Tui opens the tapa and steps out of the fale to be greeted by Maui's broad shouldered back. The demigod is casually leaning against his hook, picking sand from under his nails. Moana steps out just after her dad does and she manages to speak first, " Um so, Dad..."

Maui casually turns around at her voice, one curious eyebrow raised.

Tui steps back and takes in this huge muscular guy that's nearly covered head to toe in tatau like a tapestry of stories. And then he sees the hook. His head tilts in confusion, then he gets this strange expression, "Moana who-?" Tui gestures at Maui as he turns to look at her. He looks like he disapproves. _Disapproves of what_?

"Dad!" Moana cuts her dad off and Maui chuckles. She clears her throat and Maui rests the hook across his shoulders patiently. "This… this is the demigod that helped me restore the heart of Te Fiti, Maui. Maui… this is my father, Tui Waialiki, chief of Motunui island." Moana chews her lip anxiously as her dad begins scrutinizing the demigod.

Tui is quiet and still as he stares at the barrel chested demigod. "Demigod?" Tui's tone is incredulous. Maui nods. "Maui?" another nod.

"In the flesh. Don't worry, I get it all the time. Nice to meet you." Maui says charismatically as he reaches out and shakes Tui's hand.

Tui looks genuinely stumped now as Maui shakes his hand with enough vigor to jostle the chief. "You're a… _the_ demigod, Maui?"

Maui nods.

"And, you really did do all the things my ancestors claimed you did?" Tui asks quietly, his skepticism is slowly turning to intrigue.

"Yep." Maui replies matter-of-factly as he gestures to his tattoos across his chest and belly, and in turn each one moves, showing mini Maui pushing up the sky, before leaping across Maui's chest to lasso the sun resting on his right collarbone. Then he drops down to Maui's belly where he snatches a flame from Mahuika, the fire goddess and strides away before leaping back up to hold up the sky again. Mini Maui gives a big smile and a thumbs up with one hand as his other continues to hold up the sky. Tui's face slowly goes slack after watching the tattoos move across Maui's dark skin.

"Even the monsters?" Tui asks, blinking out of his momentary trance and shifts his attention back to the rest of Maui's moving tattoos.

Maui laughs, "Even the monsters. You're welcome." he says with a smile as he turns around to show off the monster tattoos on his back and flexes nonchalantly. His tattoos dance around and move and mini Maui struts around bashing monsters on the head.

Tui's mouth opens but he doesn't seem to be able to speak anymore. Then his brow furrows and he sets his jaw, suddenly quite intimidating. He has noticed the tattoo on Maui's sternum, right over his heart, depicting a young woman on a sailing canoe with a spiral on its sail, and he instantly recognizes his daughter on her canoe. He stares at it for a few beats, transfixed by the small beaming tattoo of his precious girl, permanently etched into the dark skin of the demigod. "Are you courting my daughter?" he asks in an almost harsh tone as he crosses his thick arms across his chest and looks hard at him, eyes narrowed.

Maui's eyes go wide in shock and confusion. He fumbles with his hook before sticking the end in the dirt, quickly looking back at the chief, "Am I what? N-no. No! I'm just a-heh... I'm just a friend, a good friend."

Never in Moana's life has she been so embarrassed! Or confused! Why would her dad think _THAT_? Gods that's crazy! They barely actually even really know each other, not to mention he's a _FREAKING_ demigod! Doesn't that make him kinda off-limits or something? Moana speaks up, "Uh, yeah… he's just my friend, dad. So! How about we sit down and get some food?"

Maui laughs good-naturedly, obviously welcoming of the distraction, "I like that idea. After you, master wayfinder."

Tui wordlessly follows his daughter, still a bit befuddled by the great big man… demigod, his presence and what exactly his relationship is with his daughter. He tries to walk pointedly between them. You know, just in case.

After some quick preparation by Moana and Tui, they sit around a pile of freshly cooked reef fish and taro and vegetables and eat. Maui is rendered silent as he revels in the taste of freshly roasted fish and hot fluffy taro buns. His first real proper meal in literal ages.

As lunch wraps up, Tui admits that must attend an elders meeting, and as he stands, so does Maui. Tui looks at the demigod as he extends his huge hand. Tui slowly smiles and shakes Maui's hand. "So great to finally meet you, Maui. Thank you for visiting! I apologize that I must excuse myself so soon, but I have to discuss the new islands' leadership nominees with the elders. Feel free to stay as long as you need. Our island is open to you."

Maui smiles and nods in appreciation, "Thank you, Chief Tui, your hospitality is deeply appreciated!"

Tui leaves the small fale, leaving Moana and Maui to themselves.

Maui chuckles as he sits back down beside Moana. "So, that went well." he says with a hint of sarcasm in his raised eyebrow and sidelong glance.

Moana laughs and takes a small bite of her remaining fish and chews thoughtfully. After swallowing she replies, "Well yeah, I guess you could say that. He warmed up to you pretty quickly after he sorted out who you were."

Maui laughs again, "yeah, that over-protective father bit was only a _little_ awkward." he chuckles as he finishes his last few bites of food and leans back against the pole of the fale. With a very satisfied sigh, he laces his fingers behind his head and rests it against the pole as well.

Moana smiles as she works on her remaining food, thinking about what first to show him of her island while he's here. There's just so much on her island that she finds beautiful. She couldn't really pick any one place or thing she likes the most. There's the beautiful waterfall with the two pools beneath it that her village uses to bathe and relax. There's the little glade where the ice cold water springs from the rocks of the mountain so fresh and sweet. Or the stretch of beach where long ago, a lava flow touched the surf and made a beautiful flat surface where Gramma Tala taught her how to dance. Or the little clearing she found deep in the forest where grass grows soft and lush, where she goes to be alone. She has worn many paths through the forest that skirt around beautiful stands of flowers or fruit trees. One that leads to a grove of ancient and gnarled kukui trees where the elders harvest the finest black kukui nuts for their prized ceremonial leis… Ceremony… that makes her think of the Chief's Mountain, where every chief that came before her placed a stone atop the peak to raise the whole island higher. The view from atop the mountain is unlike any other on her beautiful little island.

That is where she will take him. "Can I take you to the top of the Chief's Mountain? I want to show you something."

Maui looks over at Moana and smiles, "Absolutely." With that settled, they clean up and make the hike, Moana showing him some of her favorite things along the way. They reach the top in about an hour and a half since she takes her time and also kinda takes the long route. Just as an excuse to spend a little more time with her friend.

Moana explains to Maui that each stone was placed by a chief that came before her. And the next will be hers. She asks Maui to come to her ceremony. He gladly agrees. They take seats on the cliff, letting their legs hang over the edge as they look out to the ocean.

"What brought you back here, Maui?" Moana asks quietly, looking up at his peaceful face.

He looks down at her, his brow creased a bit with thought. It takes him a few minutes to answer. Moana looks deep into his brown eyes and searches for his answer.

"Um, well, I guess…" Maui chuckles almost bashfully, "I guess I missed you." he heaves a big sigh and runs his hand through his hair, pushing some strands from in front of his face back over his head.

His answer takes Moana off guard. _So… what about those thousand or so years of solitude? How did he not completely lose it?_ She must have made a curious expression, because Maui shifts to face her a bit better and elaborates.

"Things for me have been kinda slow lately. I did a little traveling and took care of some monsters, but the last two months, there hasn't been a single thing going on for me to do." Maui continues.

"You look like you've trimmed down a bit..." Moana at last caves to her desire to mention his physique. She's been dying to bring it up all afternoon. She just can't help but notice his figure being just a touch more lean and his musculature looking a bit more defined. Not in a drastic way, he just looks healthier. She saw outlines of his abs when he flexed earlier today. She doesn't exactly remember seeing those when they first met.

Maui laughs heartily, "I'm glad you noticed! Getting off that island and being able to really get out and move around really helped, but that's literally all that's changed."

Moana nods, "Well, you look good." She blushes and laughs, Maui joins her with a chuckle.

"Thanks kid, you're not too shabby either." His cheeks are darkened by a soft blush. He looks out to the ocean and takes a big breath, then he looks back at her, "Hey, you know what, I want to go sailing with you again. Nothing crazy like last time!" He says through a laugh, "just around the island. That… you know… that would really make my day."

If she was honest with herself, Moana could feel the butterflies in her stomach, slamming against her belly button trying to escape. "I think we might have enough time to make it happen if we hurry. Like we gotta run down the mountain, like, now…" she says as she counts out a few hand widths between the sun and the horizon.

Maui's expression goes from happy to positively devious in the blink of an eye. "Why run, when you can fly?" he transforms without missing a beat and crouches down, lowering his right wing so Moana can climb onto his back.

Her eyes go wide and her heart leaps into her throat. "You… you want me to get on your back? You can't be serious..."

"Just as serious as my tattoos, kid. Come on! Unless you really do want to hike back down the mountain. In which case…" he starts to lift his wings as if he were about to take off.

"Wait, wait!" Moana stops him, stepping closer and reaching out to him.

Maui laughs a deep laugh as he lowers his head and slips it under her, effortlessly lifting her onto his back, "That's what I thought. Just hold my feathers and I swear I won't let you fall. I've got your back."

Moana obeys, settling in on his broad avian shoulders and carefully grabs two handfuls of soft brown feathers on his collar as he crouches, sweeps his wings above him and launches his body into the air and pumps his powerful wings down and propels them up into the air. Moana is simultaneously terrified and thrilled as the demigod's wings piston beneath her, lifting them ever higher. She feels like her stomach was temporarily left behind on the ground.

They rise above the low hanging clouds that shroud the tops of Motunui's mountains and Moana revels in the cool misty sensation of the clouds touching her skin and she closes her eyes and lets go of Maui's feathers for a moment. Innately trusting the mighty demigod, she closes her eyes, leans back a touch and stretches her arms out to the sides like her own set of wings and lets out a sigh, allowing the incredible sensation of flight to fully engulf her senses. "Maui, this is unbelievable!"

Maui lets out an avian cry in agreement, looking back over his shoulder at Moana with his sharp, honey gold hawk eyes. Moana makes eye contact and reaches out and strokes his head. Maui fluffs his head feathers in a pleased manner before he turns his attention forward once more, "Now then, the moment I've all been waiting for, hold on!"

Moana's eyes go wide and she wraps her arms around his neck as he folds his wings against his body and dives towards the earth. Moana lets out a scream and Maui lets out a playful whoop as the wind rushes past them and the ground speeds closer. Maui waits until the very last second to unfurl his wings and pull up, letting his belly and legs scrape the treetops as he angles towards the sea. Moana is laughing as Maui dips low and drags his claws in the crystal clear water before banking hard, dipping one wingtip in the sea before he flaps his mighty wings to right himself and glides to the beach where he gracefully lands and transforms, Moana still on his shoulders. He carefully grabs her waist and lifts her over his head, setting her on her feet in front of himself.

"Oh Maui, that was incredible!" Moana turns and hugs him in thanks for a moment before running over to her canoe. "Come on! Hurry!"

Maui laughs and runs over behind her and helps her slide the small vessel into the gentle surf and she jumps aboard as he gives it a push before jumping on himself. Moana is already preparing the mast and sails as Maui paddles them out past the breakers. They both wordlessly do their part, working effortlessly as a team to sail until they pass the last breaker and are outside of the reef.

Moana looks back at Maui as he steers and she gets those butterflies again. She smiles and he stands, offering her the oar and the sail guide rope. She proudly takes them and leads her canoe around the island using everything Maui taught her.

"Feels good to sail with you again, Maui. I'm so glad you came." Moana says softly after a span of very comfortable silence. They have made it over halfway around the island.

"I agree. I have you to thank for bravely rescuing me from that lonely island, so that we could go on to save the world!" Maui's prideful expression and flamboyant proclamation reminds Moana of something that instantly annoys her.

Moanas eyes narrow and she crosses her arms incredulously, "I seem to recall things going a little different that day. In fact, I'm fairly certain you tried to leave me on that island! You even trapped me in a cave! With a giant boulder!" Moana huffs in recollection of how rude he was, and pouts at a shamefully blushing Maui, who has been taken quite off guard at how quickly the small talk turned on him. "So actually, I believe Maui, the trickster, owes me an apology…" Moana arches her brows expectantly with a nearly deadpan expression on her face. She is only mildly serious, but still, that day he hurt her feelings and she at least wants a _little_ apology.

Maui ties off the sheet and faces Moana more pointedly. His expression is at first smug, but then he frowns, ashamed. "Aue… You're right." Maui pauses and takes a deep breath. He lets it out in a big sigh that Moana swears causes the water around them to quivver and ripple outward, like a huge stone dropped in a calm pool of water. Moana can feel the sudden unnatural stillness in the air and it gives her uncomfortable goosebumps. Maui looks hard into her eyes, and she swears she sees them swim, just a whisper. Moana jumps a bit when Maui starts talking, his voice low, "You showed up with a boat and I saw my way out and without even giving the consequences of leaving a mortal on that island a second thought, I caught you up in a song and tricked you into a trap... and just took what I wanted."

Moana's eyebrows curve upwards now. Her arms uncross and she looks at the demigod with a subdued expression as he speaks, waiting for him to continue. So far, she likes where this is going. He is obviously ashamed of what he did. She plants her hands on her hips.

"Yet, you remained determined. So much so that, despite my attitude towards you, you never gave up. Not on your mission, or on me, even when I had given up on myself." His chest expands with a deep breath that he lets gently escape through his nose with a huff. "Moana, I am sorry I treated you so dismissively. I more than took advantage of you. The way I treated you was despicable. I hope there is some way I can make up for that." Maui hangs his head. The air is chilled and dead calm. Moana shivers a bit.

Moana is given pause by the apparent emotion that has now flooded Maui's features and demeanor. His apology makes her cheeks burn with a blush she didn't expect. She is a little intimidated to be honest. This is a side of the demigod she has never seen, and she has no idea how to take it. She was not prepared to see him so capitulated. Its obvious he really regrets his actions and she really didn't set out to make him feel so horrible, she only wanted him to realize how she felt then, and maybe get an apology. "Maui… I…"

The demigod silences her with eye contact that gives her goosebumps all over. He shakes his head, "I've been around for thousands of years and achieved countless feats both foolhardy and noble. That is something I let go to my head. However, I have never felt as appreciated as you make me feel."

Slowly, Moana reaches out to Maui's chest with her right hand and he quietly watches as she runs her fingertips over the subtly raised areas of skin where the ink of his tattoos is etched permanently by the gods. Her thumb sweeps softly over the image of her likeness standing boldly on her canoe. She looks over at the image of the sun, lassoed by his hook and she traces the line from the stock-still Mini Maui's hands up to the sun. She leans down to look up into his downturned eyes, her chest tightening at the shame and hurt showing in them, "Even after you did all this for my ancestors?"

Maui nods quietly, glancing back down at his chest for a moment. Moana is made aware, once more of the stillness of the canoe, and in the air as his hair falls in a dark curly curtain over his shoulders and hangs unmoving over his collarbones. "Do you remember when I told you that it was never enough for them?" he looks back up at her and his eyes are dark. "I wasn't just saying that. They were always begging me for more fantastic and incredible things. That's what drove me to take the heart of Te Fiti. It was my last ditch effort to please them. I had truly run out of things to give them. I figured, 'why not let them run the show now?' I've taken care of everything else. So I journeyed to Te Fiti. You already know how that turned out." Maui hangs his head.

Moana furrows her brow in pity for Maui and she is the one holding _his_ shoulders reassuringly now. "No need to beat yourself up for it anymore, Maui. We brought her heart back. We restored the goddess to her true form and she thanked us. She even _forgave_ you, Maui. Now, all is as it should be." Moana looks hard into Maui's eyes. "You know," she pauses, waiting for his eyes to meet hers. When they do, she feels that lurch in her chest, "I forgive you too, Maui." Moana gets goosebumps as soon as she says his name, then she feels a soft breeze touch her left cheek and her hair sways in the sudden but gentle warm air current. There's that swim in his eyes again. This time she is certain it's there. It makes the subtle amber streaks stand out against the warm cacao of his irises. In that following heartbeat, Maui smiles and she can see the relief in the crinkle of the corners of his eyes and the subtle upward curve of his strong brows. The canoe starts to bob in the sudden return of the ocean's rippling waves.

Maui's appreciative smile warms Moana. "Thank you, Moana." He says softly. Then, his stomach growls. "Uh, heh-heh! How does dinner sound?" he chuckles softly with a winning lopsided smirk. The unshakeable Maui who is comfortable in his own skin is back. And Moana laughs, feeling the relief coming off the demigod.

"Dinner sounds delicious!" Moana enthusiastically replies, more than happy to grant him that respite since things were a bit tense for her too. "How about you take us in, oh mighty demigod of the wind and sky?"

Maui smiles broadly with a hearty belly laugh that sets Moana right at ease, "It would be my pleasure." He politely takes the oar from Moana and with an absent glance at the blade, he sees his 'autograph' is still etched into the hardwood. He smiles even wider as he takes the rope Moana hands him and kneels at the stern, positioning the oar and adjusting the sail for the turn towards the shore. As the sun begins its final march down the horizon, the sky is painted with a beautiful palate of color.

Moana and Maui are greeted at the shore by the last group of returning fishermen with the day's catch. They both pitch in and help carry baskets of fish to the cleaning fale up the hill near the feasting area. The village is holding a fish fry tonight to honor Maui, courtesy of Tui, and the guest of honor is barely able to contain his delight when he smells the delicious scent of cooking food.

Chief Tui honors Maui with a grateful speech and prayer and the elders all offer blessings upon the food and Maui himself. Maui is deeply moved by the generosity and love from their words. When the elders finish and Tui announces the commencement of the feast, Maui stands and lifts his coconut full of its sweet water. Looking around at all the faces of the villagers, he's filled with an immense sense of belonging. Smiling, he thanks the village for their boundless generosity and hospitality, with tears prickling in his eyes. The village cheers out a chorus of salutes in their beautiful language and they drink as one.

Moana makes eye contact with Maui when he sits back down and she smiles, wiping the tear from his cheek with her thumb. "You're welcome." She says it so only he hears and that only makes him swallow hard, clench his jaw and blink away more tears.

"This is just so kind. I've never had this kind of appreciation showed me. Humans have only ever asked me for more. They never thanked me… never gave me anything. This… This is really something." Maui looks from the villagers to Moana and takes a drink from his coconut without breaking eye contact with her.

MoMoana laughs gently, "I'm so glad we can all call you our friend, Maui. What you've done to help us means the world to us, and without you keeping the monsters at bay, we can't sail to new islands. This is the least we can do to thank you, for all you've done for us. Thanks to you, we can go out and find more! Now, let's eat!"

Maui looks thoughtfully at Moana, processing her words before he turns his attention to the gathering before him. He pauses, uncertain for only a second or so before he all out laughs when he notices the whole village is watching him intently. Maui laughs and raises his cup and shouts, "To MORE!"

The villagers raise their cups and toast with a chorus of "To more!"

Maui can't stop smiling, he looks around as the villagers look back to him again. He smirks, "You heard the princess, Let's EAT!"

The fale tele is filled with laughter and conversation as they dig into delicious fish, bread, taro, fruit and a number of local vegetables. As they eat, Maui regails the village with his stories. As the dinner wraps up, the children begin to migrate towards him, sitting all around him. Maui tells animated stories about wrestling giant eels and octopuses, and even about how he plucked the leg off of a giant crab and made him walk funny. The children particularly enjoyed that story.

As some of the villagers start to clear away leftovers, Maui takes the kids just outside of the fale where they ate to play in the grass. After eight of them all begged him at once to play with them, he quickly gave in and lead them outside. As soon as Maui's feet touched the grass, all the children tackled him and he stumbled and fell. Carefully avoiding falling on top of one of them, the demigod wrestled with the flailing bunch of arms and legs as they tried to bring him down for a merciless tickling. Laughter and squeals could be heard throughout the village. Some children soon become enraptured by his tattoos and how they move and as they all start to calm down and pay attention, he tells them each story as Mini Maui acts them out.The children are wide-eyed with wonder, amazed that he earned each tattoo by doing something brave to help people.

Moana feels a huge swell of joy in her heart as she watches the village absorb Maui as one of their own. She can't believe how happy everyone is. Especially Maui. He desperately needed to be around people again. To laugh. To eat. To talk. To be loved on. The overwhelming reality of his past strikes her and she is relieved and so very grateful to have him among her people, doing what he has always desired. He had only ever wanted to be appreciated and a part of a family and it seems this could be his new family.

Sure enough, later that night, Maui is invited by Tui and the elders to live among the people of Motunui so that he can have a place he can always call home, and he humbly accepts. A haka is dedicated to him by the village wayfinders and it moves the demigod to tears. Their haka speaks of a mighty demigod named Maui, who restored balance to the people and the world by teaching one girl how to rekindle her heritage, and, by remembering where you've been, how you can go anywhere.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Storm Stirs

**Chapter 2 *-A Storm Stirs-***

Four years have passed since Moana's journey to Te Fiti. Motunui's people have discovered four new islands under Moana's wayfinding guidance and have colonized them all successfully. Moana is now approaching her 20th birthday.

Maui has been lending his wayfinding expertise to the people of Motunui, teaching them how to sail more efficiently, read the stars and also how to more effectively live off the land wherever they go. Between travelling around Oceania to keep the monsters and demons in check, and his people safe as they travel throughout Oceania, Maui was finding fulfilment he had never experienced before.

Motunui is his home now. The people are his loving family. He no longer has to wander and drift from island to island without a place to sleep at night. He has his own fale, his own hammock, his own little niche in the community. His strength and skill are greatly valuable to them and he is more than happy to help. With Chief Tui's direction and the vision of the people, the village has become even more beautiful and efficient with Maui's assistance.

It is now the start of the wet season of Moana's 20th year. The village is preparing for the coming rains by adding extra palm fronds to fale roofs, and tightening all the bindings in the rafters. They have harvested as many coconuts as were ready, and prepared the taro fields to prevent flooding The larger travelling canoes have been stored in the cave behind the waterfall to protect them from the foul weather and the smaller ones pulled further inshore and secured to trees. The island is ready for the coming storms.

And the storms arrive only days after Moana and Maui help put the final touches on the largest community fale: the fale tele. Moana and Maui are walking back to the village when a cold wind hits the island quite suddenly.

"Hmm, feel that drop in pressure? Rain's coming soon." Maui muses in a low tone as he looks to the sky, out past the reef. Sure enough, there is a vast and dark thundercloud looming on the horizon.

Moana follows her friend's gaze out past the reef to assess the building storm. She sees lightning flash bright and angry within the roiling thunderhead and the back of her neck prickles. "We need to warn the village. That storm looks nasty, seems Tawhirimatea is in a baleful mood today." Moana tucks a wayward clump of hair behind her ear and smooths her hair back a bit against the stiff breeze.

Maui let's out a distracted grunt of agreement and gives his hook a flick as his gaze remains fixed on the dark foreboding clouds. His body flashes bright blue and he changes form into the giant hawk. "Go ahead and head back to your fale and warn whoever you pass, I'll fly around and spread the word to the rest of the village, it's faster. Looks like that storm is really moving quick." He shakes his tail feathers and shifts his wings in an almost uncomfortable manner.

"Right," Moana replies and heads up the hill to her fale as Maui takes flight.

Moana makes it to the first step of her fale when she feels the first raindrop hit her shoulder. She looks back over her shoulder to see the darkened clouds almost above her village. The wind has picked up and the thunder has become louder and more frequent. Looking down to her village, she watches as her people as they scurry back to the relative safety of their fales just as the first raindrops really begin to fall. She hears the semi-distant screech of a hawk, she instantly recognizes it as Maui. Moana scans for the demigod. A loud and close by lightning strike temporarily blinds her as the thunderous crack makes her ears ring. Startled, Moana drops to her knees and covers her ears with a yelp. She recovers quickly and scrambles into her fale. The tapa drapes fall in place and her fale is plunged into semi-darkness. More lightning illuminates the outside for a split second. Thunder follows a second later.

Moana hears the sky open up and an almighty deluge of rain now pummels the roof of her fale. "Wow…" she whispers.

The wind makes the tapa flap against their binding ropes. A sudden commotion startles her as a huge shape tumbles through the doorway and hits the wooden floor with a wet thud. Moana lets out a yelp and backs away involuntarily. The big shape stands and is backlit by a flash of lightning.

"Moana?"

Moana lets out a startled squeak and wheels around to face the voice. Moana droops with relief when she realizes it's her mother holding a torch.

"Are you alright? What was that noise, has something fallen?" Sina continues, craning her neck and trying to see what made the crash.

Moana starts to mumble in confusion when a bright flash of blue reveals Maui, sopping wet and looking rather disheveled. Both women gasp in shock.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Moana rushes over, "Maui! You alright?" she looks him over for any evidence of injury.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I sorta lost control, feathers were soaked… didn't mean to scare you two…" Maui trails off as Sina leaps into action. She gives Moana the torch and gestures to the other unlit torches as she scurries off to get dry clothes and a blanket for the dripping demigod.

Moana obeys, lighting the torches around her family fale as Sina returns with a blanket and a change of clothes. She leads Maui to the back area of the fale that is closed off with a rudimentary sort of wall screen made of more hanging tapa. He changes and dries off as Sina hangs his wet vestments to drip dry. Lightning flashes regularly as thunder rumbles angrily outside. The whole fale creaks and groans under the heavy winds.

Once Maui has changed, the three of them gather in the middle of the fale on the thick tapa mats on the floor and listen to the storm rage on outside.

After a short while, the storm seems to come to a momentary lull and the rain dies down. That's when Tui bursts into the fale. His hair is tied back in a sloppy bun and he is completely drenched. He looks very much on edge. Maui stands up immediately, "what's wrong, Tui?"

"Down palm tree on the Ahi'i family fale, they are all trapped inside!" Tui says, a little louder than necessary as he gestures generally behind him with his left hand. The urgency is plain on his face.

Without hesitation, Maui slips the lavalava he just put on right back off, leaving him in his loincloth. "Take me to them." Maui says with a sobering tone in his voice.

Moana feels her face burn with a blush as she quickly turns her eyes away from the powerfully sculpted demigod. She is a little perturbed by the lack of modesty from the demigod, thankful he lingers only a breath after removing the lavalava. She looks up to see the tapa fall back into place, but her mind is buzzing. She shakes her head a little to clear the fog and turns to her mother. "We should prepare in case someone is injured."

Moana can't quite read her mom's expression before the older woman tilts her head just a touch and smiles softly. "A wise suggestion, my minnow. Draw some water and I will gather my supplies."

Moana nods and goes to get the large carved wooden bowl and takes it just down the hill to fill it with water from the spring. She walks slowly, but purposefully. In her mind, she watches Maui stand, his back to her, and pull the lavalava off. She huffs, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head to dispel the image. She opens her eyes and promptly slips on a large wet banana leaf. She falls heavily on her bum and the bowl is jarred from her grasp, landing heavily on her stomach, forcing a harsh grunt from Moana's lips. Moana takes a moment to gather her thoughts and heaves a mildly exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes at the dark clouds above. She picks herself up and finishes her task, returning to the fale with a full bowl and no further accidents.

Meanwhile, Maui has followed at a run behind the sprinting Chief, through scattered debris from the storm. Branches, palm fronds, sticks and torn leaves litter the ground. Up ahead by the treeline, Maui spots the downed palm tree. It has toppled half of a fale and he can hear small children crying from beneath the tangled mess of palm leaves and timber. Heart in his throat, he rushes over and starts lifting and removing huge handfuls of debris. Tui jumps in and takes armfuls of palm fronds off to the side.

Maui's fingernails scrape against a roof beam and he grunts, reaching around the thick log and lifting it effortlessly away. He tosses it to his right into the open field. Tui has uncovered another beam.

"Please… help… I'm scared." a child whimpers from under the sodden mess.

"Just hang on, little one! We're gonna get you out of there! Be strong!" Tui says loudly over the sound of them moving debris and the rain falling heavier.

"Tui! Over here! I can see one!" Maui shouts and the chief scrambles over and Maui hefts another trashed beam covered in palm fronds up high enough for Tui to slide closer to the opening and scoop two small children from the mess. Quickly he takes them away from the wreckage and undoes his lavalava and drapes it around both children's shoulders.

"Now stay here, we will get the others, alright… you are both so very brave!" Tui gives the small children each a tender and quick honi to comfort them. He wipes tears and dirt from their frightened faces before he returns to Maui's side, now clad only in his loincloth as well.

Maui has removed half of the debris, and lifts another complex part of the roof structure to reveal a teen and the bottom half of one of the parents' legs. Tui grabs the young man's hand and helps him climb from the hole. The boy quickly runs to his younger siblings to comfort them.

Tui helps Maui shift more broken beams and they finally uncover the parents. They are pinned beneath the intricately carved ridgepole of the fale. The wife is better off than the husband, whose leg seems to be painfully pinned under the heavy beam. Maui lifts it carefully, making sure nothing will shift and crush them and Tui quickly slips into the opening and hefts the woman in his arms and carries her to her children, setting her on the ground to sit before he returns for her husband. Tui climbs down and kneels beside the man, examining his leg. It is bleeding and swollen. He gingerly lifts the man and carries him from the wrecked fale. "Come with me, this way!" Tui urges the woman, and she stands and picks up her children, wrapped in Tui's lavalava. She and her teenage son follow Tui up the hill to his fale.

"I'll catch up shortly," Maui shouts to Tui as he turns and jogs deeper into the village.

"Okay, Maui!" Tui shouts in reply as he crests the hill near his fale. He takes the four steps two at a time and enters his fale. He carries the man to the center and gently sets him on a fala mat by the small fire.

Sina is already by his side with the bowl of water and a washcloth and she starts to clean his leg. "Moana, please get blankets and tend to the children." Sina instructs as she carefully removes splinters and washes the man's leg.

Moana silently obeys, quickly climbing aloft and grabbing an armful of tapa. She carefully lowers herself to the floor just as she hears the rain start absolutely pouring again.

Tui has already dried off and put on dry clothes. He has just started boiling water with hot rocks in a large stone bowl so that Sina can make her herbal tea for everyone. Moana gently looks the children over for injuries, but aside from their share of small scrapes and bruises, they fared very well. The teen has a cut on his cheek, but is otherwise fine and the mother is somewhat banged up, especially her legs and arms, which are scraped pretty bad.

Thunder rumbles deeply in the distance as rain continues to pour outside. Sina spreads a salve made from a root that contains an anti-inflammatory agent across the husband's leg.

"Water is ready for tea, darling." Tui announces and Sina acknowledges him with a loving smile. She turns to address Moana but her daughter is already running to the dry storage basket for the satchel filled with her secret blend of flowers and herbs for tea. She brings it to her mother who carefully measures the tea into each of the five coconut shell cups. Then Sina carefully scoops cupfulls of the steaming water from the bowl into each cup and hands it to Moana. Moana passes out the tea one cup at a time. She is handing the mother the last cup when Maui enters the fale.

Everyone looks over at the demigod. Silence grips the fale for a span before Tui speaks up, "Are there any others?"

Maui sweeps his huge hand over his dripping face to move his hair, which hangs in sodden pieces from a falling apart bun. "No, the village is safe. I checked every fale."

Moana watches the demigod breathe heavily. He's soaking wet, and cold, she can see his goosebumps in the warm torchlight. She leaps into action, bringing him a blanket that she drapes over his shoulders. Moana then grabs the dry lavalava from earlier and hands it to him. The smile he gives her is thankful, but tired. His brow is furrowed, which worries Moana, but she forces that feeling back down. She has people to tend to. Satisfied that the demigod can handle things from here, Moana returns her attention to the twin girls.

Maui makes his way back to the closed off area to dry off and change. Maui grumbles inwardly as he pulls off the soaked loincloth and towels his groin dry. He is soaked to the bone, chilled and exhausted. He shivers as a drop of ice cold water drips down his back from his hair. He growls, rubbing the towel over his back to dry it before he wraps the towel around his head and squeezes as much water from his hair as he can. He lets it down and gathers it all to one side and wrings it out. He shakes it back into place before gathering it back into a tidy and snug bun. 'I'll deal with you later.' He huffs and finishes drying his body off, then covers himself in a nice dry loincloth. He gets goosebumps and shivers as he pulls the lavalava around his waist and secures it snugly before heading to the warmth of the fire.

When he emerges, everyone is gathered around the fire, someone has brought out some salted cured fish and they are eating. Sina notices his approach and starts to prepare him a hot cup of tea. He can't stop the smile that forms at her wordless gesture of love. His heart swells with his feelings for this, his adoptive family.

Maui strolls over and takes the cup of lovely smelling herbal tea Sina hands him. "Thank you, Sina." They exchange warm smiles and Maui takes a seat between her and Moana in front of the fire. Already the warmth from the cup is seeping into his hands as they wrap around it. The plate of fish enters his field of vision and he looks down at it. Moana is looking up at him with her warm brown eyes as she urges him silently with her gaze to eat. He takes a quick sip of tea and sets it on the ground in front of him before taking a side of fish, "Thanks, Curly." he says softly as he takes a bite of the fish. His stomach growls loudly and both he and Moana stifle giggles. Across the fire, the twins start giggling. One mimics Maui's stomach growls and the other erupts in a fit of extremely contagious laughter. After a good laugh, an easy silence returns in the meditative quiet brought by the rain.

The fish is finished and everyone has had another cup of tea. The twins, Kaia and Hana fall asleep on their mother Anahera's lap and the father, Taika is asleep as well. The teen, Ihaka has reclined beside his father and is losing the battle to stay awake. Moana and Sina have retired to the back of the fale to sleep.

Tui gets to his feet after tending the fire a little and Maui jerks at the sound, blinking out of a light doze he didn't even realize he had slipped into. Maui looks up at him as Tui steps over. Maui's brows arch inquisitively. "Come," Tui starts, "I'll get you a mat and pillow. You are exhausted. You need some sleep."

Maui nods with a soft chuckle, "Guess you're right," and gets to his feet. Every part of him aches. He quietly follows Tui as the chief gets fresh bedding and hands it to Maui.

"Thank you very much." Maui says softly as he places his mats on the floor opposite Moana.

"No Maui, the thanks go to you. You saved these people's lives today." Tui says as he indicates the rescued family with a sweeping gesture of his hand. Looking back at Maui he offers a warm smile, "we are all in your debt. Now, get some sleep. A good rest to you, Maui."

Maui's face heats up, he doesn't feel like he deserves such high praise. He simply felt it was the right thing to do. He lowers his head in gratitude, "Please, Tui. No one owes me anything. I mean, of course you're welcome, but I am the one that owes everyone here on Motunui my thanks. You let me live here, after all." Maui replies as he takes a seat on his sleeping mat and looks up at Tui.

"And we are all happy to have you here. And it is my personal wish that you continue to stay. Now, I insist that you get some rest. You certainly earned it. Good night, Maui." Tui says with a smile.

"Alright. Same to you, Tui." Maui replies. Tui dips his head in acknowledgement as he turns towards his wife and walks quietly over to his sleeping mat to lie down.

Maui sighs contentedly and reclines with a groan. He settles in and covers himself with a blanket and closes his eyes. Sleep swiftly takes him as the rain pours down outside and the wind batters the walls.

x

Maui slowly returns to consciousness. He groggily blinks his eyes open and takes a deep breath, triggering a mighty yawn and satisfying full body stretch. Relaxing back against the mats he gazes around the quiet fale, taking stock of everything around him. Taika is snoring quietly beside his wife as the twins girls, Kaia and Hana sleep between them. Ihaka sleeps on the other side of his mother. Tui and Sina are on the other side of the fale, and Moana is between them and Maui.

Maui listens, the rain has lessened considerably, but continues to fall.

Maui sighs, the blue-grey light of pre-dawn still wraps the fale in cool semi-darkness. He shifts a little and closes his eyes, dozing back off.

x

Movement in the fale wakes Maui. He cracks an eye open. It's lighter out now, closer to sunrise. He tilts his head enough to see Tui leaving. With a deeper breath, Maui's eyes slide closed and he falls back to sleep.

x

At the beckoning of the rising sun, Maui wakes again. He feels much better rested and watches as everyone else starts waking up from the morning sun shining through a break in the clouds. Sina rises first to start breakfast. After about ten minutes, everyone is awake and has tea. Sina has started preparing breakfast, roasted plantain and fish with fresh mango and breadfruit.

Mid morning brings Tui's return and news of a shipwrecked canoe with four travellers aboard. Maui hangs his hook over his shoulder and Moana walks with him to the fale tele go greet the shipwrecked is coughing hoarsely when they arrive. They have been brought dry clothes and food and now drink water as they warm by the fire.

"What is the name of your island?" Moana asks politely as she kneels to sit beside one of the strangers.

The man looks up at her after a sip water, "Vanuatu."

Moana furrows her brow, trying to mentally list off islands she knows and where they are relative to Motunui.

Maui chuckles at her intensely concentrated expression, "West. First Tonga, and then Fiji lie between us. That is an old island that has seen many generations walk upon it."

Moana looks up at Maui with wide eyes, amazed at his knowledge of Oceania and her many islands. "How…" her question trails off as Maui smirks at her and gives her a wink.

"You still have quite a bit to learn, don't worry Moana. As for how, I remember pulling it up out of the ocean, of course." Maui says nonchalantly. "I also remember pulling up Motunui from the ocean floor too, you know…" Maui winks at her with a laugh as Moana shakes herself out of her awestruck daze.

"Right… of course you do… know it all." Moana shoots a glare at the snarky demigod. Maui playfully sticks his tongue out at her and she just rolls her eyes.

Moana turns back to look at the man she was just talking to, "So, what brings you so far East? And during storm season no less. Is there trouble in Vanuatu?" Moana asks as she worries the fringe of her lavalava between the pads of her nimble fingers.

"Not trouble, just … I dunno, this-" the first man starts, but is then cut off by the man beside him.

"Feeling. An urge to go and see more," the second man says, with a real sparkle in his eye. He clearly has the longing to explore and discover.

"But we are new to wayfinding, I've been practicing the longest. Three months..." The third man speaks now, his voice a touch hoarse from the coughing he has been doing. Moana reasons that he must have caught cold from exposure, being the obvious oldest amongst the four men. After clearing his throat, he continues, "So, turns out we left in the wrong season. Got blown way off course by this huge storm…" he pauses and coughs.

The fourth man finishes the story for his elder, "We were sailing for Samoa. We had heard it is beautiful there and the fruit is to die for."

Maui let's out a deep, belly laugh that makes all four men look at him, "They have a lot of delicious fruits there, yes." The demigod briefly looks to the sky out past the reef. There is a glimpse of sky beyond this storm. By his estimate, it will be clear by morning.

Tui speaks from behind Maui, "Once this storm passes, we will send you off in the proper heading with more than enough supplies to make it."

The men talk quietly amongst themselves for a moment, then the eldest addresses Tui, "We would be deeply grateful."

Loa, an adventurous 26 year old warrior-in-training, steps forward from the small throng of villagers that has amassed to see the strangers. "If the chief will allow it, I would like to open my fale to you four for shelter and accommodations. I would be honored to have you as my guests."

The men mumble amongst themselves again, then the eldest stands and clasps Loa's extended hands warmly, "We would gladly take your offer."

Tui steps up beside Maui and the villagers fall quiet and look to their chief. "Then it is my pleasure to welcome you to Motunui. Another storm is rolling in as we speak, and as such, the reef will likely be impassable till daybreak. What is ours is yours. We will have a communal dinner at the fale tele at sundown. Please, make yourselves at home." Tui steps up to each man and exchanges a welcoming honi, and finishes with the eldest man, who coughs a couple times and apologizes before he leans in for his honi.

As one, the village disperses to their morning tasks, trying to accomplish what they can before the storm picks back up.

Maui walks over to Moana and puts a big hand on her sturdy shoulder. She looks up at the smiling demigod and he gives her his trademark eyebrow raise. "What do you say we hike up the mountain before this storm rolls in? Take a day to ourselves?"

Moana cocks an incredulous eyebrow of her own, "in this weather? Really Maui?"

Maui lets out a laugh, "why not?"

Now it's Moana's turn to laugh, "fair enough, let's go!" Moana wants to go to the cave where the canoes are stored now to protect them from the storms. So, she silently leads Maui up the meandering secluded mountain trail. They take their time, enjoying the feeling of the light misting rain. They enjoy the scent of petrichor and sea spray. The singing of the segavao(blue-crowned lorikeet).

Two thirds of the way up the mountain, Moana decides to ask him if he even wants to go to the cave. The sudden recollection of him having spent 1000 years living in one make her second-guess the whole trip up the mountain. She nervously looks up at Maui and they stop walking.

Maui notices her subtle unease, and he is instantly hyper alert, "What's up, Moana? Something on your mind?" A warm, swirling breeze surrounds them. The corner of Maui's lip twitches. _Of course_. That protective streak is there alright. He supposes he can't _always_ keep his emotions in check, sometimes he just... accidentally affects the air or water around him. He just hopes she doesn't notice it. Not that it means anything, of course. Nah, just being a protective guy, like always.

"Can we go to the cave?" her voice drags him from his distracted thoughts.

"What… The cave? Why? You mean where the vaka are being stored? Why would you want to go there, it's dark and dank and stale…" Maui pulls a face just thinking about smelly damp caves. He is not particularly fond of them if he's honest. But he also doesn't understand why she looks so worried, if all she wanted to ask was if he wanted to hang out in a boat cave. It can't be too bad, can it? He cocks a curious, prying eyebrow.

"Can I talk about it when we get there?" Moana is being very reserved and avoids eye contact.

 _Well, that's… vague. Vague and rather unsettling, especially considering her weird expression. Better further the plot then._ Maui muses to himself briefly before looking at Moana properly, "Well… I mean sure. Yeah… Are… you okay, Moana?" Maui makes a curious expression, his brow furrowed a bit as he turns to fully face Moana and regard her seriously.

Moana's eyes lift to his and she gives him a small smile and a sure nod, sweeping her hair together into an effortless bun. Then she tosses her head in the direction of the cave and leads the way. Maui follows with a chuckle and an easy smile. Okay then, princess.

Moana and Maui at last reach the rear entrance to the cave. Maui pushes aside the mass of overgrown vines to allow entrance into the lava tube.

Moana leads the way and Maui quietly follows. He glances around cautiously, still wary of caves. Moana heads straight to the edge of the calm lake inside the huge cavern. Maui walks beside her, taking the place in. He notices that is it actually not as dark and dank as he thought, and is actually quite beautiful. _Definitely less of a cave and more of a cavern. Which are cool. Much cooler than caves. And drier... which is nice_. Maui thinks to himself as he assesses the cavern. He concludes that this cavern is an acceptable place to chill. Only then does he all of the voyaging vaka liked up near the lake. _Oh, then there's those. Okay, this is officially an awesome cave... Shit. Cavern._ Maui chuckles to himself as he walks over to Moana.

They stop and listen to the waterfall at the far end of the cavern across the lake. "This is beautiful, Moana. I've never actually seen the inside of this place. It's incredible!"

Moana looks back over her shoulder and smiles a cute little smile, like she's almost bashful. Maui closes the distance between them and she turns to face him, "I like it here too."

Moana makes her way over to one of the bigger canoes and Maui follows. He watches as she runs her hand across the smooth carved wood of the hull, a reverent expression on her face. She then climbs aboard and Maui happily tags along.

Moana looks so at home on the deck of the enormous vaka and Maui smiles at that thought as he strides over to the mainmast. He runs his palm over the smooth wood, gazing up to to the top before he easily scales it. When he reaches the large fork at the top he leans out, holding on with just one hand, one foot dangling in the open air, completely comfortable and sure-footed.

Moana watches, giggling as Maui just hangs there and looks down at her with a comfortable smile. "I've always loved the bigger vaka, they are just so incredible to me for some reason. Strong and sturdy... They are always the first to appear on the horizon. I knew I had pulled a good island when I saw the huge sails in the distance…" Maui muses softly aloud as he climbs nimbly down from aloft. Tossing his hair back over his shoulders, he walks to the bow and plops down, dangling his feet off the deck and staring out to the thundering curtain of water at the mouth of the cave. Moana strides lazily over and takes a seat beside him.

"Must have been spectacular to see…" Moana remarks quietly, her voice echoing in the cavernous space.

"mhh" Maui grunts distractedly and lies back on the deck with a huff, "honestly kid, I miss those days sometimes, back when I was really makin' a difference."

"But Maui," Moana giggles, poking the demigod in the ribs and making him squirm and chuckle, "you're _still_ making a difference! _Here_ , on Motunui, every day! Yesterday is a great example! You saved _five people, Maui._ They could have been horribly injured or killed."

Maui lowers his face, his cheeks hot. "Nah, there are plenty strong men here that could… and would have helped. Trust me… I wouldn't trade this life for anything, but sometimes I just feel like I'm not doing enough…" Maui lets out a wistful, almost dejected sigh.

"You're wrong." Moana's rebuttal is so stern, Maui rolls onto his side and props himself up on his elbow to look at her properly. His eyes are widened and he is taken aback by her certainty.

"My father told me what happened, Maui. You lifted half of the fale and kept the family from being crushed. It would have taken ten of our strongest to lift that ridgepole. Don't be foolish Maui. Every little thing you do, from digging taro and harvesting coconuts, to fishing and repairing our fale and vaka. All of it is priceless and immensely valuable to the whole village. You are an integral member of my village."

Maui blinks a few times as he considers everything she said. He feels a shift in his own perspective of what he has done and he sits quietly for a long time. "I guess you're right." Suddenly, Maui sits up and faces Moana, a very concerned… serious expression on his ageless face. "Moana," he pauses and fills his lungs with an enormous breath that he releases in a big sigh, "sorry, not to abruptly change the subject, but you said you would talk to me about this place... I saw something in your eyes when you asked me if I wanted to come to this cave. You wanted to come but you were... worried about something. Moana, what happened here?"

Moana is silent for a span and Maui begins to worry that he may have overstepped his bounds. Then she looks up into his eyes with a thoughtful expression that instantly calms his thoughts. "Well… a lot… It's where I really realized who I am… who my people were. I discovered… well, _re_ discovered our heritage here. All the yearning to be on the sea, my whole life, the need for more, the nagging certainty that there's such a big wide world out there to see… it made sense as soon as I banged the to'ere. My culture and it's rich history of voyage and discovery washed over me like a wave crashing on the shore. It was unforgettable." Moana's eyes cast downwards suddenly and Maui shifts to lean closer, his concern welling back up.

"Moana?" he breathes, barely above a whisper, worried by her demeanor change. She looks up at him for a moment, her normally thick lips are pressed to a thin frown.

"Right after I ran out of the cave shouting about how we were voyagers, Gramma Tala took me down to the water's edge. That's when she gave me the heart of Te Fiti. That's when I learned that I was chosen by the ocean." Moana's eyes well with tears and she hangs her head and wipes her eyes. Maui' s brow furrows as she continues, "Gramma Tala died just hours later." Maui's heart plummets at her words. She rarely speaks of her grandmother's death, only her lessons in life and all the wonderful time spent together. _Typical Moana, always focusing on the positive_. He furrows his brow and looks into Moana's downcast face. Her gaze slowly rises to meet his and Maui presses his lips into a thin, downturned line in sympathy. " _She_ showed me this place." Moana continues, looking around the cavern and softly gesturing to their surroundings. "She had been guiding me and teaching me so much, all in preparation for that day. That day, my whole life changed forever. So yes, maybe it is dark and dank and secluded. But I come because it means a lot to me. I come here to think and be at peace when I just need quiet."

Maui finds himself rendered silent, the gravity of her words really resonate with him. A place of solitude and peace. A place where she communes with her ancestors.

"I… saw Matai Vasa," Moana says suddenly and Maui blinks confusedly at her.

"Pardon?" Maui is momentarily befuddled by her statement. He is pretty certain she knows good and well Matai Vasa is _long_ dead.

"In a vision," Moana replies with a bit of uncertainty in her tone.

"A what? Sorry, I'm not sure I follow," Maui asks with confusion.

"I guess you could say I had a vision of my ancestors, sailing. Here. After I banged the to'ere, the torches lit up and suddenly… I was surrounded by the ocean on this huge vaka and we crested a huge wave and the sea spray splashed my face and I heard my ancestors singing. They were singing about how they navigated by the sun and stars, how they knew where and _who_ they were and… and… oh gods Maui, it was so beautiful… I wish… I wish I could hear it again. Just one more time."

Maui notices the tears forming in her eyes and he'll be damned if it doesn't make his heart thud harder against his chest. He wants so bad to give her that song, somehow. Voyaging is part of her. It is in her blood. It sings in her soul and he wants so very bad to grant that wish, even if it is just a simple song. Maui _knew_ Matai Vasa. He has heard the ancestral voyaging songs… _sang_ them, and there were many. But the question is, which one did she hear? Now he _has_ to figure out which one. "Moana… I… I think I can help."

Moana looks over at him so fast, the tears are flung from her wide eyes. His heart leaps at the hope in those eyes. He must deliver on this, he would never forgive himself if he couldn't. "Really?" she asks, almost desperate.

Maui nods, why is his heart beating so fast? "I used to know Matai Vasa." Maui didn't think it was possible for her eyes to get any wider, and yet, there they are. He has an idea, "Can you remember more of the song you heard? Even little parts?" he sits cross legged in front of Moana and encourages her to concentrate. He puts his hands gently on her shoulders, "Just relax, let it come to you. There is no rush."

Moana closes her eyes and tries to remember that evening. She tries to recall the beat of the to'ere as it echoed in the cave. How it felt as the sticks vibrated in her hands with each strike. _One...one two… onetwothree_ … her mind dredges up a ghost of a rhythm and her body starts to sway to it. She sees flashes of her vision, the vaka, the wave, Matai Vasa at the rudder… he is singing… she can hear words, not her own tongue, but painfully close. Older. She tries to say what she hears. "Ta… tatou... o tan… tagata… umm, o tagata folau…" Moana half speaks half sings the words with her eyes closed tightly. She is trying so hard to recall more, but it was almost five years ago. She feels the panic set in. _W_ _hat if it's not enough…_

Maui can feel the song rising up in his chest. _He knows it_. He remembers singing it _with_ Matai. Oh gods, it was his favorite song the man would sing! His eyes close and he lets the song flow through him, take him right out into the sea. _Now_ his heart is _pounding_ … He opens his eyes and they search for the to'ere he _knows_ is on this vaka, the one that Matai Vasa carved himself. _There it is!_ Maui gets awkwardly to his feet in his haste and runs to it. Maui hesitates in front of the ancient log drum, his heartbeat singing in his ears the rhythm his hands must create. He picks up the drumsticks. He gets goosebumps as he _feels_ the ancient _mana_ they hold from the generations of hands that held them and banged them on this drum. He gives the drum a couple test hits before he plunges head first into the old, familiar rhythm that pounds in his chest.

Moana watches dumbstruck as the demigod scrambles over to the to'ere and starts to drum the _exact rhythm_ from the song that has haunted her memories ever since that day. Her jaw drops when the first verse comes out of his mouth. _Oh. My. Gods_.

"Tatou o tagata folau

Vala'auina e le atua

O le sami tele e o mai!

Ia ava'e le lu'itau e lelei

Tapenapena!"

"Aue aue! Nuku i mua

Te manulele e tataki iei!

Aue aue te fenua te malie

Nae ko hakilia kaiga e!"

Moana has tears streaming down her face. _He knows the song. Oh my gods he knows…_ he starts the third verse and she gets goosebumps, not only does he know the song, he sings it so _well_ … Moana is caught up in the emotion of the song and she is suddenly remembering whole verses. She lifts her voice and joins it with Maui's, standing and walking over to stand in front of the toere as Maui drives the rhythm as though he has done it his whole life. Maui makes eye contact when he hears her voice and smiles brightly as he feels the music thrumming in his veins like pure mana.

"We read the wind and the sky when the sun is high!

We sail the length of the seas on the ocean breeze!

At night we name every star,

We know where we are.

We know who we are, who we are!"

"Aue aue!" They shout together, filled with the emotion of the song,

"We set a course to find

A brand new island everywhere we roam!

Aue aue! We keep our island in our mind,

And when it's time to find home,

We know the way!"

Moana's voice harmonizes perfectly with Maui as they reach the climax of the song.

"Aue aue! We are explorers reading every sign!

We tell the stories of our elders in a

Never-ending chain."

Moana cannot help the tears that run down her cheeks, but she pays them no mind. She is so caught up in the song Maui is singing with her.

"Aue aue! Te fenua te mali e

Nae no hakilia,

We know the waaaaaay!"

Both of them stare at each other across the toere. Maui is breathing heavily and he can feel his pulse thudding everywhere. Moana has tears streaking down her face and the brightest eyes and broadest smile he's ever seen. He swallows and blinks a few times, still reeling with the power of the song and the suddenness with which it washed over him. He can feel his arms shaking. He lets out a shaky breath. _Woah_.

Moana suddenly runs around the to'ere and collides with Maui's torso, squeezing her arms around him as tightly as she can manage. Maui takes an unbalanced step back and chuckles before he wraps his arms around her, the drumsticks still in his hands. She holds him for a long, silent span, and Maui closes his eyes and just revels in the emotions. He will hold her as long as she wants him to. He is happy here and this feels right. Maybe he is still riding an emotional high from the ancestral song, but he feels amazing.

Moana presses herself tightly to the demigod and squeezes her eyes shut against the flowing tears. She never thought she would hear that song again. It filled her with such wonder when first she heard it. Maui has once again surprised her. She can't believe he knew it, let alone well enough to play it on the actual to'ere that Matai Vasa once played it on. She lets out a huge contented sigh and just allows her senses to take over. Her ears are filled with Maui's slowing breathing, his steady heartbeat in her ear, the low rumble of the waterfall across the lake from them. She feels so complete. All of a sudden she jolts and pulls away from Maui, and he startles a bit but she smiles putting her hands on his forearms, "Sorry, I meant to thank you. That was so amazing. I still can't believe you knew the song! Thank you, Maui! Thank you so much." Moana's face is glowing and Maui feels his cheeks heat up. He smiles at her, then it turns into a smirk.

Maui laughs, "What can I say, except you're welcome!" he sing-songs and Moana bursts into laughter. He joins her in the laughter and carefully replaces the drumsticks in the to'ere. Then he turns around and picks Moana up from behind. Moana let's out a shocked sound as Maui spins in place and then lifts her over his head and plops her on his broad shoulders, his hands sliding from her waist to her thighs so she won't slip. "Guess that's just my way of being me!" he says softly as he peers up at her with a raised brow and she giggles.

Maui chuckles as he walks down from the platform where the to'ere sits to the main deck. He intends to walk out to the bow and takes only two steps when Moana covers his eyes with both her hands. Maui takes an awkward half step and stops, laughing, "Hey! I need those!"

Moana is giggling as she leans closer to his right ear and whispers, "Not if you have a master wayfinder on your shoulders!" She snickers and Maui chuckles.

"Oh yeah?" Moana can feel his eyes clench tighter and he puts his hands on his hips, leaving Moana to control her balance. "Well then, if that is the case, take me to the bow."

"No cheating, do you trust me?" Moana lightens her touch against his cheeks experimentally and Maui nods, eyes still clenched closed. Moana pulls her hands away from his face and leans forward, peering around the left of his face to see him beaming with his eyes clenched tightly closed. She giggles.

"What, did you think I wouldn't trust you?" Maui challenges, raising an eyebrow and keeping his eyes obediently closed.

Moana tries not to laugh again. Instead, she clears her throat and straightens. "Just checking," she says with confidence. She reaches forward with both hands to cup his jaw but hesitates, her hands clenching into loose fists just an inch from his cheeks. She is suddenly so nervous. She takes a steadying breath and extends her fingers again. Another soft breath before she closes the distance and gently cups her hands against Maui's jawline on both sides. She feels a jolt of adrenaline when her hands touch his skin. Then his head tilts ever-so slightly to the right before she feels his cheeks round out with his smile.

Maui laughs softly, "Clever. Let's see what you've got, _master wayfinder_."

 _Oh... His tone..._ "Ahem!" Moana reasserts her control over her swirling emotions and looks ahead. She scans her surroundings. The bow is perhaps thirteen of her own steps ahead and to the right about the length of her forearm held out horizontally at eye-level. "Okay, I will direct you mainly with my hands, here." She begins as she ever-so slightly presses her thumbs against his cheeks, and he smiles again. "And I will relay distance in steps. Please take one step, straight ahead."

"You got it, Curly." Maui says as he takes a step. Moana does a few quick mental calculations to transfer her steps to his steps and comes up with one of his steps for every two of hers.

"Okay," Moana turns Maui' s head to the right so he looks towards the bow, "take six and a half steps in this direction."

She feels his smirk before he aligns his body with his head and grabs her ankles gently. Then he starts confidently walking in the direction she gave him. She feels a jolt in her gut, he really trusts her. She carefully holds her arms still so that she does not cause him to deviate as he walks for the bow. Maui takes precisely six and a half steps and stops and Moana rejoices internally when his last half step stops him only an inch from the edge of the deck, dead center at the bow. Moana smiles and lets her hands fall from his jaw as she leans her elbows against her thighs. "How's that?" she asks, leaning over to see his face.

Maui opens his eyes and looks around for a moment before he looks down at his feet. His head jerks back in subtle shock before he looks over at Moana. The shock is plain on his face and his eyes dart to the edge of the deck once before he looks back at her, his expression quite impressed. "Damn."

Moana bites her lips to stifle a giggle and straightens with a proud smirk. Maui shakes his head, impressed as he turns around and lifts her from his shoulders and sets her on her feet. She turns to face him with a broad smile. Maui shakes his head again in mild disbelief.

"Didn't think I'd get you so close?" Moana asks, quite proud of herself.

"Didn't think you'd get me so close." Maui replies in a surprised tone. "You got what it takes, Curly. Color me impressed." Maui crosses his big arms and stands akimbo.

Moana blushes, but brushes him off, "Ha! Don't act so surprised, you knew what I was capable of."

Maui dramatically rolls his eyes and straightens, "Yeah, you see right through me, dontcha?" he smiles at her.

"Of course I do, I'm your best friend." Moana says with easy confidence.

Her statememt certainty makes his heart skip a beat. He still sometimes can't believe how lucky he is. After what he went through as a young child, it's nice to have real friends and people he can call family. "Yeah." Maui says thoughtfully, "yeah you are."

The cave is suddenly lit up by a bright flash of light from outside the waterfall. Moana gasps and they turn to look as the rumble of distant thunder meets their ears.

"Uh-oh, looks like the storm is finally upon us." Maui says softly. He feels Moana step closer to his right side and he puts an arm behind her, his hand coming to rest above her hip. Moana leans into his side and Maui smiles.

"Guess we should at least get something to eat. Here, come with me." Moana says after squeezing Maui in a one armed hug. She steps away and walks to the edge of the vaka and jumps down to the sand. Moana looks back at Maui, who has not yet moved, and instead just watches her from the deck of the vaka. "Come on!"

"Oh… right, sorry. I was… thinking about... something." Maui mumbles as he steps up to the edge and jumps down.

Moana runs lightheartedly towards the back of the cave and waits at the opening of the lava tube for Maui. Maui jogs up the slight incline and stops beside Moana. "So, we headed back down the mountain?" he asks.

Moana shakes her head _no_ , then smiles, "I have something to show you." it's such a small, innocent smile. He's gets that flutter in his chest.

Maui cocks a curious eyebrow at her, "Very well, lead the way, Master Wayfinder." Maui follows her as she quickly exits the cave and steps into the drizzle.

She glances around, then turns to face Maui as he stands in the mouth of the tube. "Can you boost me up there?" Moana indicates a small ledge above his head.

Maui cranes his head around to look where she pointed, "Oh! Yes, here!" Maui laces his fingers together to form a stirrup and he crouches so Moana can step into his hands. She grabs his shoulders to balance as he stands and lifts her foot up to his chest. She climbs easily into the ledge and they each turn to face one another. Moana looks suddenly embarrassed and apologetic, "Umm. I didn't really think this through… I can't lift you so…"

Maui laughs good-naturedly. "Oh, not to worry, Curly!" Maui reassures her as he effortlessly jumps up and grabs the ledge. Moana backs up to allow him adequate space as he pulls himself up onto the ledge with an easy smile.

"Right… okay this way!" Moana giggles and turns to start climbing up the steep narrow path that curves around the mountain and out of sight. Maui follows her quietly as the drizzle picks up to a light rain. They round the bend and the path leads to a grove of mango trees that are laden with ripe fruit.

Maui's eyes go wide. "Holy…"

"I know, right! We would harvest them, but it's quite a rough trail and it's pretty tight up here so we just let them go. But we get the seeds for the grove down the mountain from these trees." Moana explains as she walks up to a thick tree and leaps up to its lowest branch. She pulls herself up and climbs higher to get to the best fruit.

Maui stays close, just in case she slips. He hears a snap and his stomach instantly drops. He can't see her and he's getting anxious. "Moana!" he shouts in concern. In reply, three mangoes hit his face and chest and he stumbles back in shock. One of them was overripe and it split open on his chest when it hit him, spilling sticky sweet juice down his front. He wipes away most of the fruit and stands, stepping under the branches again, "Moana?"

"Sorry about those, here… these are perfect." Maui hears another couple small twigs snap before he hears a lot of rustling. Then he sees her climbing down with her lavalava turned up at the front and filled with fruit! She looks like she is holding the bottom of the lavalava in her teeth to free both hands for climbing.

"Holy… Woah!" Maui steps closer and reaches up to her as she takes a seat on the lowest branch.

"Catch!" She says and slides off the branch.

Maui gasps in shock as she falls into his outstretched arms and knocks him over with a loud grunt. Moana is laughing stitches in her side as Maui recovers. He sits up with her still in his arms and he blinks his wide eyes at her. He is totally shocked.

"Nice catch, Maui." Moana chuckles and dumps the mangoes on the ground between Maui's spread legs.

Finally, Maui finds his voice and he huffs, "Ugh, seriously Moana? You scared the _shit_ out of me… felt like I was having a heart attack…"

Moana just smiles at him, "I knew you'd catch me." She pokes her finger against the tattoo of herself on his still heaving chest and smirks.

Maui frowns angrily at her, but can't stay mad with her smiling like she is. He heaves a heavy sigh and pulls her against his chest in a tight hug. "Please warn me if you plan on doing something like that again." He can still feel his pulse pounding against his throat. He closes his eyes and wills himself to relax.

Moana presses her lips against the side of his neck for a few beats. She pulls away, the thudding in her chest keeping pace with the bounding she can feel in his. She smiles a cheeky smile as he opens his eyes and looks at her. "I did." She says simply.

Maui's eyes first go wide then he quickly frowns playfully when he registers the snark, "Oh you little-!" he instantly digs his fingers into her ribs and tickles her mercilessly until she laughs tears in her eyes and begs for mercy.

Once they have caught their breath, Moana and Maui pick up the mangoes and Moana fills her lavalava again. They quickly return to the cave to eat as the rain begins pouring down outside.

x

The rain falls heavily until sunset, when it slows back to a light drizzle. But the wind has really picked up and the temperature has dropped.

Moana is leaning against Maui's shoulder with her eyes closed and Maui is leaning against the hull of the largest vaka. He watches the waterfall across the lake. He hears the rain let up and he looks down at Moana. "Hey, Curly. Ready to head down the mountain? There's a lull in the rain."

Moana looks up at the demigod and nods, "They are probably serving dinner soon. Let's go." Moana stands and walks up to the back entrance of the cave followed by Maui. Preparing for the chill, they hesitate before they walk out into the light rain and down the mountain. When they arrive at the fale tele, food is being brought out and so they take seats and enjoy dinner before retiring to their fales early and exhausted.

They dream of sailing and ancestral songs as the storm batters the reef.


	3. Chapter 3 - Uncertainty

Chapter 3 *-Uncertainty-*

It has rained for the past four days since the shipwrecked visitors were sent off. That was the last time the sun actually peeked through the clouds for more than a breath. Moana sits cross legged in the doorway of her fale and holds her chin in her hands. She frowns out at the rain and sighs. Sometimes, she really hates this time of the year. _Everything_ is wet. Everyone is mopey. Even the animals are miserable. Moana lets out an irritated groan. Now even her father, who always seems to take the rain in effortless stride, seems like he is at his wits end. Probably does not help that he is coming down with some kind of cold.

Moana lets out another complaining groan and flops onto her back. She wants to do something, _anything_ , to get out of the stagnancy of the fale.

Maui hasn't even had a chance to come see her in two days. He has been out with Tui patching roofs against the heavy rain. Now that she thinks about it, it's probably no wonder her dad's getting sick.

Moana heaves a sigh and makes a raspberry sound with her lips just to break the silence. "Ugh… I'm so bored!" She moans as she scratches her scalp for no other reason than to busy her fingers.

"Moana, have you seen my abalone bracelet?" her mother calls from the back of the fale.

Lazily, Moana rolls to her stomach and props her chin in her left hand. She makes a little smirk as she glances down at her right wrist to see the blue shell bracelet on her wrist. She snickers quietly, "Mom."

Sina walks around the corner and looks at Moana, "Yes honey?"

Moana just smiles and holds up her arm to show off the iridescent bracelet. Her mother makes that semi-disappointed mother face and laughs, shaking her head. "Thank you for keeping it safe." Sina says with a tender motherly smile. Then she looks around the fale, "Your father still out with Maui?"

"Ugh!" Moana dramatically drops her forehead onto her right forearm, and her hair falls all around her face to obscure it. A muffled "yes" is all she manages.

Sina smiles understandingly, "don't worry, the sun will come back. It always does."

"It can't come soon enough," Moana mumbles from within her mess of hair. She gave up on trying to tame it two days ago, the humidity is just too high.

Sina laughs, "would you like to paint the tapa with me?"

Moana pulls her knees under her and sits up, flipping her hair back with her arm so it falls down her back again, "I would love to, mom." She smiles, anything to keep her mind busy. The women stand and Moana pulls all of her hair together and wraps it into a sloppy bun as she follows her mother to the other side of the fale where all the paint and tapa are kept.

Moana and her mother lose themselves in small talk and painting for two hours before they hear someone enter the fale. Moana turns after pressing her paint covered block into the tapa. She smiles when she sees Maui walk in, with her dad just steps behind. She turns her attention back to the tapa and carefully pulls the block away to reveal the design stamped into the fibers. She smiles a bit wider, "glad you guys didn't wash away in all the rain," Moana says offhandedly as she paints more ink carefully onto the printing block.

Both of the men chuckle. But Tui starts to cough in the middle of his laugh and both of the women look over at him in concern.

Sina puts down her block and stands, a worried expression on her face, "You aren't doing yourself any favors by working in the rain, Tui my love." She says as she walks over and wipes some smeared dirt from her husband's cheek. Tui rolls his eyes and smiles gives his wife a honi.

"I'll be fine without you worrying over me, woman." Tui grouses as he kisses his wife on the cheek and walks to the fire. "We do this every year. I get a cough, you worry over me… it's just the weather darling, I'll be fine. Always am." Tui looks over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow and a confident smile. Sina sighs and shakes her head, planting her hands on her hips with a smile.

Maui wipes his hands on his lavalava and pushes some hair from his face, "Yeah, don't worry Sina, we're done for the season anyway. Fixed the last three roofs today. So, barring a hurricane, there shouldn't be any more repairs this season."

As Sina returns to the floor beside Moana, Tui walks over to the big stone bowl that's always filled with water and starts to drop some of the hot rocks in to boil it. Then he coughs a couple times before standing and walking to the back to change. Sina shakes her head a little before returning to her work.

Maui walks over and squats beside Moana, peering over her shoulder at the tapa as she paints ink onto her block. "Hey." he starts in a short, upbeat tone.

"Hey," Moana says coyly with a sidelong glance and a barely concealed smile as she presses the block against the tapa and then peels it away to reveal the next part of the design.

"That looks beautiful, Moana." He says quietly. Moana looks over properly and smiles at him as Tui sneezes in the background.

"Hey, now that's nothing to sneeze at…" Maui jokingly chastises Tui with a frown. Moana snickers and tries to hide her smile as Sina does the same.

The chief makes a dismissive grunt as he tosses his wet lavalava on the ground. It makes a soggy plop sound and he lets out a harrumph. "Now listen,"

Sina, Moana and Maui all cut him off with rowdy laughter. Tui leans out from behind the tapa with a mildly offended frown.

Maui chuckles and Moana shakes her head with a smile. Tui realizes they were joking around and rolls his eyes dramatically, waving a hand dismissively at them all as he retreats back behind the tapa to finish dressing.

"He does this to himself every year." Moana gripes with a cynical chuckle, "You'd think he would have learned by now."

"Ah, he'll be fine." Maui assures her as he stands. "Anyway, I gotta go change, but you wanna meet at the beach later? Treasure hunting is always best after a good storm and I'm pretty sure it's not going to be raining."

Moana smiles at the demigod. He knows she hates being cooped up by the rain. "But how can you be so sure?" Moana challenges, even though she already knows the answer. She still likes to push his buttons on occasion.

Maui chuckles, "Well, I flew up to the clouds and looked, of course. _Duh_..." Maui quips playfully.

Moana laughs, "Then it's settled. We're going treasure hunting."

"Atta girl!" Maui smiles and stands, "see you in a few, Princess." Maui roughly pats the top of Moana's frizzy bun.

"Ugh! _Mauiiiiii_!" Moana whines at the nickname and swats at his hand. Maui just laughs and walks out of the fale into the drizzling rain to change his clothes and await the break in the weather.

x

After two hours of combing the beach with Maui in the warm sunshine, Moana's little woven pouch is filled to the brim with sharks teeth, shells and long purple urchin spines.

Maui has fashioned Moana a crown of pale pink plumeria flowers. And in return, Moana adorned Maui with his own crown of bright yellow hibiscus flowers and bright green strands of seaweed wrapped around his mostly tidy bun. He sits cross legged in the sand as Moana puts the finishing touches on his crown with a brightly colored scallop shell that has a perfectly placed hole in it. She carefully threads a strand of seaweed through the hole in it and weaves it carefully into the crown and then steps back. "Fit for a chief."

Maui smirks, "Thanks, I feel quite regal. Ahem, Maiden… fetch me a coconut. Your chief has a great thirst." Maui says in his best royal impression, waving his hand and lifting his head regally. Moana giggles as a strand of seaweed slips free and falls over his right eye. Maui makes a comical half disgusted, half shocked face and they both laugh rowdily until they can't breathe anymore. Maui tips backwards and flops dramatically in the sand and Moana follows suit, plopping down beside him. They gaze grinning up at the cloud-spangled blue sky.

"I'm so glad you were right." Moana says with a smile in her voice.

Maui puts an arm behind his head and rests the other on his belly. "About what?" he gives her a playful side-eye and she smirks.

"The sun." Moana says nonchalantly as she grins over at Maui.

"Oh. Yeah, me too." Maui smiles and they watch the fluffy clouds float by.

Suddenly, they hear the sound of someone walking towards them on the sand. They both sit up and see that it's Talanoa. Moana smiles at him until she sees his expression. Maui notices too and they both get to their feet with growing concern.

Talanoa clears his throat uncomfortably. "Moana…"

"What is it, Talanoa? What's wrong?" the concern in her voice is palpable.

Talanoa runs his fingers anxiously through his hair and shifts his weight uncomfortably. He uncomfortably avoids eye contact with her, looking at the ground, his feet, and the sea before he finally looks up at her. He puts his hands on his hips, a pained expression on his face. "Something's wrong, you need to come to the chief's fale. It's not good…"

Moana squints at him, "Speak plainly, Talanoa. What is going on?" Moana asserts sternly and the man takes a deep breath and sighs.

"It's your dad." Talanoa says simply as he nervously picks at his fingernails.

"My dad?" Moana repeats with wary curiosity.

"He… well, he's sick. Very sick." Talanoa is sweating under Moana's suddenly stern glare.

"How? He was fine just a little while ago. I saw him." Moana argues in disbelief. She looks up at Maui with worry in her eyes.

The demigod frowns as he puts a steadying hand on her shoulder. "We'll come right away. Thank you, Talanoa." Maui speaks for Moana who has fallen silent.

Talanoa nods and jogs back up the beach to the village.

Moana looks up at Maui and he tilts his head to look back at her, "Maui…"

"It's alright, Moana. Let's go see him, okay?" Maui's tone is reassuring and soft .

Moana heaves a sigh. "Okay."

Maui gives her a reassuring smile as he gathers their little woven shell pouches. "Come on," he says softly as he carries the little pouches in one arm as he urges Moana to walk with his other.

When they arrive at Moana's fale, it's filled with elders and council members. That sight alone drives Moana's anxiety through the roof and she stops fifty feet away from the fale, unable to take another step. Maui turns around at the door with a concerned expression when he notices she isn't beside him.

Maui's brow furrows sympathetically. He puts the little shell pouches just inside the doorway of the fale and walks back over to the frozen Moana. He stands before her and holds her shoulders reassuringly. "Hey, look at me. Whatever's going on, we will get through it. Together. Okay? I got your back. And don't forget, this is your dad we're talking about here. He's a tough man. Now let's go see him, okay Curly?" Maui smiles reassuringly at her and Moana gives him a little smile back. "Alright, after you, Moana." Maui says as he steps beside her. Moana takes a breath and leads the way into the fale. Everyone steps aside as she and Maui walk towards the back where her dad is.

When she first sees him, his eyes are closed. He is covered in sweat and looks pale and uncomfortable. Moana swallows hard as she walks over to kneel by her father. She can hear a crackling wheeze when he breathes and it makes her stomach tighten. _He sounds awful._ "Hey, dad?"

Tui tiredly opens his eyes, "Moana," he whispers hoarsely, "stay back my daughter, I don't want you ill with this as well." Tui is suddenly taken by a fit of violent sneezes.

"I'll be okay dad, and so will you." Moana says softly after he stops sneezing, but her tone is defiant.

Tui chuckles weakly, out of breath from the sneezing fit. "That's my Moana." He turns his head away from her and coughs wetly into a small cloth.

Moana frowns. "I will arrange for a few small groups to be sent to neighboring islands for their best healers right away." Moana asserts as she stands and faces the other people gathered in the fale. "Also, we should gather what herbs and remedies we can from our island. Those of you who want to volunteer to sail out, meet me in the fale tele in a half hour. I will have instructions for you then." Moana turns and looks at Maui. "Will you come with me please?"

Maui looks at her with a curious expression and nods, "of course, Moana."

Moana just nods and excuses herself from the fale. Maui quickly follows. She walks quickly through the village and towards the sea and Maui rushes to keep up. They weave through the trees by the shore and emerge on the beach where Moana promptly plops down on her knees in the sand and lets out a stressed huff.

Maui stops short of her when he sees her sit. "Aw, Moana." He says under his breath. He walks over and takes a seat next to the stressed out daughter of the chief. "Hey." He starts, looking over at her. Moana looks up at Maui, lips pressed in a thin line and brow furrowed. "You did a great job back there. Definitely chief material. Your dad is proud of you, Curly. Everyone is. I could see it."

Moana hangs her head and crosses her arms, "I'm scared Maui. What if-"

"No. I'm gonna stop you right there." Maui gently cuts her off and puts an arm around her shoulder. "He will be okay. And so will you."

Moana lets out a weary sigh and they both watch the surf for a few minutes. They watch the sea birds glide and dive into the waves until Maui gives her shoulder a light squeeze. "Let's head to the fale tele, you've got work to do." He looks into her eyes and gives her an encouraging smile and she returns it. After taking a deep breath she gets to her feet and lets out a big sigh. Maui stands and leads the way to the fale tele were fifty of the village voyagers have gathered to wait for her.

x

Moana and Maui turn back to the village as the last vaka sails over the reef. Since the meeting she called two days ago, Moana and Maui sent off ten vaka with five sailors apiece to nearby inhabited islands to recruit the best healers and bring the best medicine from each island.

Unfortunately however, her father has only gotten worse despite the village healer's very best efforts. Tui is weak, heavily congested, and can barely breathe properly.

Moana is not allowed by the elders to go see him very often. For her own safety, and in the interest of the village as a whole, the future chief must be protected. At her father's urging, she has started staying in Maui's fale up in his loft so she doesn't get sick. She only visits once a day to check in with her mother and the healer.

As three days pass, and Tui's condition does not change. Moana finds it harder and harder to sleep at night, and tougher to focus during the day.

She tries to distract herself by spending her time with Maui. The concerned demigod is more than willing to try his best to keep her mind occupied. And he keeps her company, leading her around the island to do daily chores between two storms, and help gather fresh palm fronds for possible roof repairs. The whole village anxiously awaits the return of their voyagers, or some improvement in Tui's condition.

On day three, Maui takes her hiking all over Motunui in search of obscure and rare medicinal plants. They find a small handful of different herbs that usually help with coughing and congestion, but none of them seem to help much more than soothing his cough to a degree.

It is mid-day on the fourth day since the group of voyages set sail for help. Maui has taken Moana across the reef to explore the small, uninhabited island that lies just outside the barrier reef.

They land on the beach and hike the small island for anything potentially medicinal, but come up empty handed.

Around noon, they emerge onto the beach from the treeline. Moana plops down on the sand in defeat. She starts to doodle swirls and tapa patterns in the sand.

Maui stands behind her and watches for a moment. The sounds of the surf and birds and breeze through the trees make for a soothing background. He closes his eyes and listens to the rhythm of the waves.

After a short time Maui steps beside Moana and squats beside her. "Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I'm gonna go out on the reef and see what I can find, sound good?"

Moana turns to look at him with a weary sigh, "yeah, I guess so."

Maui puts a hand on her back to reassure her. "I'll be quick." He says with a smile as he stands and strides over to the canoe to grab a woven pouch before heading out to the water. When he is waist deep, he dives under the waves and scans for the reef.

Once he located the rocks of the nearby reef he surfaces and swims over to them. Diving beneath the waves, Maui looks around to see what's edible. In moments he locates a fair number of abalone clinging to the rocks. His eyes go wide and he surfaces for another breath before he dives back down and starts to pry the molluscs free from the rocks one by one.

While he is pulling free the sixth abalone he wants, he sees something out of the corner of his eye. He stuffs the last abalone into the pouch and looks to his left where he saw the glimpse of color. Scattered on the white sandy seabed, Maui sees around ten scattered scallop shells in beautiful shades of yellow and pink.

His eyebrows arch, _I could make a beautiful necklace with a few of those._ Maui thinks to himself as he surfaces. He takes a deep breath and dives down to the sea floor seventeen feet below. He picks up five of the colorful little shells, already formulating a simple little surprise for Moana. Maui begins thinking up a design for a necklace as he floats towards the surface with the shells in one hand and the pouch of abalone in the other.

Maui surfaces with a smile on his face. He puts the little shells in the pouch with the abalone and leisurely swims to shore. "Hey Curly!" Maui shouts as he wades out of the surf.

Moana looks up and gets to her feet, a curious expression on her face. "What did you find?" she calls back with a small smile as she runs out to meet him.

Maui grins proudly and stops in the ankle deep water and presents the pouch full of abalone. "Pāua!" he raises an eyebrow in anticipation of her reaction.

Moana gasps as she stops in front of him, "No way!"

"Yes way! Let's get a fire going to cook these bad boys up!" Maui laughs as he tosses his head towards shore and they both head up the beach.

"Oh man, I haven't had pāua in ages!"

Moana says excitedly as she runs up the beach ahead of Maui and starts to flatten out an area for the fire. Then she goes to grab some big flat rocks from the edge of the beach.

As she does that, Maui goes to the canoe to grab some thin twine from the hold for the necklace. He carefully tucks it in the waist of his lavalava, then heads to the trees to collect firewood.

When he comes back to the fire circle with his armful of assorted pieces of wood, Moana already has a circle of stones set up and is arranging a large flat stone to cook the pāua on.

Maui builds up the wood and using a friction bow, he lights it in minutes. After coaxing the fire to a decent size, he starts pulling the abalone out of the pouch and sets them shell down on the flat rock beside the fire to cook. Moana jumps in and enthusiastically takes over cooking for him. Maui arches his brows in surprise at her enthusiasm, but decides it is indeed the perfect opportunity to work on the necklace.

Ten quiet minutes pass and Maui makes quick progress the necklace, keeping a wary eye on Moana. To his relief, she is deeply engrossed in tending to the delicate abalone, and she does not look over at him once.

He is almost done and he smiles at his handiwork. Moana scoots closer to the fire and starts pulling the abalone away from the fire with a stick. "The pāua are done, Maui." She says softly with an excited smile as she pushes a couple towards him.

Maui smiles and sneakily stuffs the nearly complete necklace in the empty pouch he put the abalone in. "Thanks Moana, you're the best." Maui praises as he takes one of the cooked gastropodes and starts pulling pieces off to eat.

Moana giggles, "No, you are. You're the one that found these delicious pāua! Thank you, Maui."

Maui chuckles, "You're welcome, Moana." He digs into his pāua, enjoying the tasty meal with a smile. "Mmm, these… oh man…"

"Amazing, right?" Moana asks as she starts to devour her pāua.

Maui nods energetically while Moana munches happily on her abalone.

Maui makes quick work of his and after swallowing his last bite he sets the shell down and stands. "Mmh, be right back," he says nonchalantly and Moana just nods. Her eyes are closed and she is smiling happily as she enjoys the delicious flavor of the pāua. Maui smirks at her before he takes his empty abalone shells and carefully drops them in the pouch with the necklace. He jogs over to the boat only about fifteen feet away and hops aboard. Squatting by the cargo hold he takes out the abalone and stows them carefully before he pulls the necklace out. He looks quickly over at Moana to see her enjoying her second abalone. _Good, plenty of time._ He thinks to himself as he takes a seat and quietly finishes the necklace.

He looks at the finished product with a pleased smile before he peers over his shoulder at Moana. She looks up at him after setting down her last empty abalone shell. She tilts her head, "What are you doing?" She calls over to him.

Maui takes a breath and turns around with the necklace hidden in his clasped hands. "I _may_ have made you something." Maui says slowly as he nervously bites his bottom lip, an excited expression on his face. He hops off the canoe and walks over to her.

"What? When?" Moana straightens and faces him more directly when he stops to stand beside her, curiosity written all over her face.

"Just now, actually…" Maui smiles and unfurls his fingers as he extends his hands towards Moana.

Her eyes widen as the necklace is revealed and she slowly reaches for it, running her fingertips over the finely detailed macrame and the lovely little pink and yellow scallop shells. She is so blown away she covers her mouth as tears well in her eyes. "Maui, it's so beautiful! You shouldn't have!" Moana whimpers as she fights back thankful tears.

Maui chuckles, feeling the prickle of tears in his eyes at the sight of her overjoyed reaction. "Nah, you deserve it. I'm so glad you like it. I hoped you would." Maui babbles as he slides the necklace through his hands so he is holding the ends and steps closer to her.

Moana wipes tears from her eyes and nods her head enthusiastically, "Oh Maui, I love it! Thank you so much!"

Maui smiles with nervous joy as he kneels down on one knee in front of her. Gently, he drapes the necklace around her neck and slips the knot he tied on one end through the loop on the other to secure it around her neck. He steps back and looks at her in the necklace and he just smiles. "You look beautiful,"

Moana's eyes go wide at his words and she looks down at the necklace, admiring it's craftsmanship. "Thank you, Maui."

"Anytime, Curly." Maui says with a bashful smile that makes Moana giggle.

A distant conch horn blows and commands their attention. Moana stands quickly and looks out to the water. Her eyes go wide when she sees the first of four vaka in the distance on the reef. She instantly recognizes the markings and designs on the sails. "They're back, Maui! Look!" she points out at the vaka and Maui turns and gets to his feet to see.

"Alright Moana, I'll get the canoe in the water, you grab your pāua and put out the fire!" Maui urges as he turns back around to face her, eyes big and bright with burning hope.

Moana beams, buoyed up by his hopefulness. She nods and starts kicking sand over the dying fire until no smoke escapes and then picks up the valuable abalone shells and stuffs them in her pouch. She runs down the beach and into the shin-deep water where Maui waits with the canoe. He extends a hand and Moana grabs it and he lifts her onto the canoe before unfurling the sail. He plunges the oar into the water and turns the bow towards shore.

They ride a stiff breeze to shore and beach hastily. Once the canoe is secured, they head to the fale tele where the crew from the four returning vaka stand with each guest village healer. Moana energetically addresses the returned villagers and their guests and lets them know what's happened and asks that they work together on a remedy and get started while the wait continues on the rest of the voyagers.

x

It takes another three days for the remaining six canoes to return. All of the healers work together but despite a week of intensive care by the entire assembly of healers, Tui's condition only worsens.

After seeing all the hard work and effort doing nothing to improve Tui's condition, Maui becomes very frustrated. He is irritated by the absence of improvement and is driven to do something about it. He takes Moana aside after she steps out of the healers fale one afternoon. "Moana. I've gotta do something. I am going to pay Tangaroa and Te Fiti a visit. Maybe they have something that will help."

Moana's expression is full of conviction. "I'm coming too. I gotta help my dad." her fists clench at her sides and she furrows her brow at Maui.

The demigod's expression becomes deeply apologetic, "No, Moana. I'm sorry. You have to be here for your father. He needs you."

Moana looks devastated, "But Maui! I have to help him! I am _not_ going to just stand around and watch him die! I WON'T!" Moana shouts at him furiously.

Maui gently grabs her fists and unclenches them one finger at a time. " _Moana_... _please_ , listen to me," Maui pleads as he pulls the tense young woman against himself and wraps his arms around her. She fumes in his arms.

" _Damn it_ , Maui! I _have_ to do _something_!" Moana starts crying against his chest and droops in defeat.

"Easy… easy. I know you want to help, Moana. Please just understand, your island needs you here. Your _father_ needs you here. You would never forgive yourself if something were to happen while you were away. Please, Moana. _Please_ trust me." Maui says gently as he hugs Moana's shaking frame against his chest.

Moana presses close and closes her eyes against the tears that have formed. "I… I guess you're right," she whispers against his skin and he shudders at the tickle of her breath.

"It will be alright, Moana. I'll return as fast as I can." Maui assures her as he pulls her away from his chest and cups her cheeks so he can look her in the eyes. "Keep an eye on the horizon, Moana. I'll do everything I can." Maui can't bring himself to say goodbye, so he presses his forehead to hers in a honi instead. That just makes Moana cry again. Maui wipes her tears with his thumbs and straightens. "I'll see you soon." He says as he backs away from her for a few steps before he turns around.

Moana watches the solemn demigod and waves to him before he turns and walks down the hill.

Maui clenches his jaw against his swirling emotions and heads for his fale to grab his hook. He takes one last look over his shoulder up to where he left Moana before he gives the hook a precise spin and transforms into the giant hawk. Maui leaps into the air with a harsh flap of his wings and he powers above the trees. Free of the canopy, he turns towards the sea and aligns himself in the direction of Te Fiti.

Maui flies at his fastest as the hawk, but his stamina is not infinite. After a whole day of ploughing headlong through the increasing exhaustion, Maui tucks his wings against his body, plummeting from the sky like a falling arrow. At the last moment before he hits the water, Maui changes forms into a sailfish. He cuts through the water like a missile, ignoring his hunger and ever-present exhaustion for another full day. The following morning, Maui launches himself from the ocean to assess his heading, switching to the hawk again to fly for the rest of the day.

x

Maui arrives at the island of Te Fiti at dusk another day of flying later. Without hesitation, he powers towards the shoreline, landing exhaustedly on the sandy beach. He shifts to human and stumbles awkwardly through the sand to the treeline where he drops to his knees and lays down, rolls onto his back and heaves an exhausted sigh. He closes his eyes and wipes a little sweat from his forehead. For a few moments, Maui lies motionless and just catches his breath.

His stomach suddenly growls. Maui moans and opens his eyes and looks around for fruit or something else to eat. _Not a thing to eat on this beach._ _Go figure_. He sighs and gets to his feet and heads towards the center of the island. He hopes he will perhaps stumble on something edible on the way inland.

After walking inland for almost an hour, Maui considers shifting to iguana so he can eat some of the obnoxious bugs that are plaguing him. Nearly ready to give in and start eating bugs, he at last comes upon a banana tree with ripe bananas, and a nearby grove of mangoes. Maui eats the fruit until he is full, then he takes a seat at the base of a thick tree and reclines against the trunk. With his belly full of fruit, Maui is hankering for a nap.

Maui let's out a big yawn despite himself and rests his head against the trunk with a weary sigh. "Just a short nap, that's it." Maui mumbles as he crosses his arms over his chest and settles in. In just minutes, he is out cold.

He sleeps until dawn, when the sun starts to filter in through the leaves onto his slack face. Maui opens his eyes and stretches. Looking around as the sun shines down on him he frowns, "So much for just a short nap… oh well. Time to get going." Maui gets to his feet and grabs a mango and takes a bite. As he chews, he grabs another mango for later and starts on his way to the heart of the island, the heart of Te Fiti.

Once he is deeper in the island, he has to change shape frequently to fit into complicated paths that make reaching the heart nearly impossible.

After an hour of trekking, Maui at last emerges into the small dark clearing as a lithe green iguana. Straight ahead of him is a wall of dark lava rock with a large spiral in it. At the center of the spiral pulses the little green stone that changed his life forever. Maui takes a deep, preparatory breath and shifts to human.

The steady flashing green glow emanating from the heart of Te Fiti illuminates the dark grove. Maui places his hook on the ground and slowly walks up to the wall. "Hey, Te Fiti. It's me again. Please don't be angry…" Maui whispers softly as he reaches out and splays his hand over the gently flashing stone.

Maui shudders as soon as his palm touches the stone. A wash of goosebumps races across his body as a startling shock goes through him. He gasps, then he feels the pulse of the stone against his palm as the whole island suddenly shudders as a whole beneath his feet. _Oh no_ … He holds still and closes his eyes. "Te Fiti. Mother island. Giver of life. Generous one. I come before you humbly, asking only that you might spare a moment to hear my plea."

The lava rock in front of him suddenly cracks and shifts and suddenly his hand is not pressed to a wall, but a woman's chest. A woman of greenery and stone. Maui's eyes go wide, he was not expecting her to manifest this small. He was fully prepared to face an island-sized goddess of earth and vegetation. Not a human-sized woman of rock and small plants.

The stone by his hand shifts and suddenly reaches out in the shape a hand and swiftly entraps his wrist. A whole new arm forms and the shell of the old one crumbles to black sand. Maui blinks in shock. In his mind's eye, he sees Te Ka reforming her limbs after he cut them off and he shudders.

The hand around his wrist pulls away from the outline of Te Fiti. Then, the goddess steps out of the wall of stone. Maui is forced to step backwards and he gets goosebumps. Eyes wide, he clears his throat and bows his head to her, kneeling as far as he can with his arm held over his head by the still silent goddess.

"Demigod. What brings you to my shores to wake me from my sleep?" Te Fiti asks him in a soft quiet voice. More goosebumps, he has never heard her speak. Ever. Her voice is rich and soft, wise and light. And yet still somehow strong and full of fire and mystery. Maui swallows hard. His heart is pounding.

Maui looks up at the goddess and takes a breath, "I come to you with the deepest respect and pray you might hear my plea." Maui starts in a low, reverent tone, bowing his head respectfully. "I hope that you might forgive my intrusion once more." Maui chews his lip as he stares at her feet.

Te Fiti slides the fingertips of her other hand down the back of Maui's captive hand and releases it from her earthen grip. As his hand falls to his side, she nods to him, "Of course, Maui. Remember that I have forgiven you. You are always welcome here, demigod of the wind and sea. Now, what is it that you seek?"

Maui is given temporary pause by her kindness, but he quickly realigns his focus on trying to save Tui. With a frown, Maui looks back up at the goddess. "You remember Moana, the girl who was chosen by the ocean to return your heart…" Maui waits for Te Fiti to confirm that she knows who Maui is talking about. When the goddess nods, Maui smiles and continues. "Well, her father has fallen gravely ill. We have not been able to help him, despite our best efforts. So I come to you in the hopes that you may have a remedy to cure his sickness. That… that is all I ask."

After hearing his plea, Te Fiti hangs her head and puts a palm on Maui's chest, startling the demigod with her forwardness. "I am so sorry," she whispers, expression darkening. "What earth mother Papatuanuku and sky father Ranginui have ordained for their children, Tū (humankind), I cannot change."

Her words cut him like a knife. His eyes sting. His chest clenches. He clenches his fists. The thought of losing Tui… _No. He will not lose Tui_. Maui looks up at the goddess and she makes a deeply apologetic expression. The expression of pain and sadness looks out of place on her smooth, motherly features.

"Mortality carries both a blessing and a curse, life is full of joy and love and excitement, but ends far sooner than the life of a god. You must cherish each moment.They are much more precious when shared with a mortal. Farewell Maui." Te Fiti leans close and presses her forehead to his and closes her eyes. They take a breath together and both of them release it in a wistful sigh before they pull back. Te Fiti dips her head quietly before she retreats back into the wall.

Maui stands there in shock. His mind is a whirlwind of emotion. The looming loss of Tui, the humbling experience of being in Te Fiti's presence again, the awe of sharing a honi with her, the tenderness in her touch, the profound sadness in her green eyes…

Maui plops heavily onto the ground to sit. He stares into the middle distance and just tries to process it all. She either can't, or won't intervene. But he can't give up. Not yet. It may be a long shot, but the god of the ocean may see things a little different. It is worth a try. So try he will.

Maui gets to his feet and walks over to his hook and lifts it with a reverent smile. He recalls the day that Te Fiti presented it to him to replace his broken one. Ever since that day, he has taken things far more seriously. Generosity like that, that's not something that comes around every day.

With a heavy heart, Maui transforms into an iguana and squeezes through the dense underbrush until he gets far enough away to transform to a human. He makes his way to the shore and finally steps out onto the beach. The midday sun blazes hot on his dark shoulders as he walks to the surf and steps into the cool water. He stops for a moment and looks back over his shoulder at the lush island and heaves a sigh. Then he turns back to face the sea and wades out into chest deep water. With a sure flick of his hook, he flashes into the shape of a bottlenose dolphin. Maui takes a breath and starts swimming dejectedly out past the breakers and into the open ocean.

After a while, he realizes that he has been swimming for quite some time and so he stops to get his bearings. He surfaces and looks around. He knows that Tangaroa's lair is north of Te Fiti. But with the sun directly overhead, it is difficult to orient himself in the proper direction. He must use underwater landmarks instead. With an internal sigh, he shifts to the form of a sperm whale. Maui takes a mighty breath before he dives below the surface. He uses the whale's highly sensitive echolocation to essentially create a mental map. He can 'see' underwater mountains and valleys and finally has a sense of where he is from the direction and temperature of the currents. Maui drives onward for hours, surfacing regularly until the sun has arced down closer to the horizon. As it dips below the line where sea and sky are one, he can use the stars to navigate.

He surfaces regularly as he nears the lair of Tangaroa. He can detect the entrance to a long lava tube with his echolocation. Maui surfaces one last time for a breath and double-checks his accuracy before he makes the final dive towards the entrance far below in the darkness of the deep. He has nearly run out of breath as he nears the mouth of the underwater cave, so he shifts to a deep-ocean fish to complete the journey.

As Maui cautiously swims into the mouth of the cave he is greeted by a monstrous giant eel. Startled and greatly outclassed, Maui backpedals a bit before he shifts into a giant squid so that he can see eye to eye with the guardian. Maui squares up with the twenty foot long eel and spreads his shorter tentacles threateningly. His two longest tentacles are coiled and ready, in case he must attack.

Maui flashes his huge, sharp beak at the now leery eel. The creature eyeballs the ferocious beak and massive serrated suction cups and thinks better of facing the shape-shifting demigod. He slithers tail first back into his crevice and allows the demigod to pass.

Keeping a dinner-plate-sized eye on the eel's toothy gaping mouth , Maui propels himself deeper into the cave.

Soon, the darkness becomes illuminated by pale blue bioluminescence. Maui downsizes to a swift moving humboldt squid as the glowing tunnel stretches out before him.

At last, he can make out an opening ahead and Maui swims up to it to assess what lies on the other side. It appears to be filled with air, instead of water.

Curious, Maui extends a single tentative tentacle towards the opening. He bravely pushes the appendage through the opening and finds that he was indeed correct. Air.

Steeling himself for anything, Maui transforms into an octopus and crawls along the bottom of the tunnel and through the opening. Once he crosses the threshold, he shifts to human and looks warily around the very large cavern, gripping his hook defensively. Large, but seemingly empty, the cave has soft light from glowing bioluminescence and a few torches here and there. He thinks he smells roasting fish in the air.

"Hello, Maui." The even-toned voice seems to come from all over at once and Maui is startled, looking frantically around the cave for whomever spoke. His heart is suddenly thudding in his ears.

Maui takes a few calming breaths before he speaks, "I seek an audience with you, great Tangaroa." Maui speaks clearly but no louder than he normally would, certain the god, wherever he is hiding, has very good hearing.

"Tāwhirimātea came to me yesterday and told me that you were travelling my way. Please, come closer. Sit with me." A low chuckle from across the room follows his request. Tangaroa's voice is calm and inviting. "Relax, Maui. You are welcome here. Please, join me."

Maui swallows his thudding heart, sure now that the treacherous organ must have given him away. Walking deeper into the cavern, he steps around a row of stalactites and stalagmites that have met in the middle to form a barrier. Looking around the stone, he finally spots the god, reclined on a soft looking bed of what appears to be tapa, over in a central, well lit area of the cavern.

He is of muscular build and rather tall. His skin is quite dark, like Maui's, and his dark hair is up in a tidy bun. Tangaroa appears to have _pe-a_ tattooed into his skin as well, akin to what Tui has, but far more ancient. No doubt where his people got their inspiration.

With a wayward glance, Maui now notices stylized carvings all over the walls of the cavern depicting whales, fish and other sea creatures. His eyes fall again on the comfortably repose form of Tangaroa as he cautiously walks towards the god.

The sturdily-built god looks relaxed and unsurprised by Maui's arrival. "Your knowledge of my creatures is impressive, demigod." Tangaroa says softly as Maui kneels before him and bows.

"Thank you, Tangaroa." Maui says softly as he glances up at the god.

Tangaroa gestures to a pile of fala mats beside him with a wave of his hand. "Please,Maui. I insist."

Maui nods and obediently reclines on the comfy mats, still clutching the handle of his hook anxiously.

"Do tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, shapeshifter?" Tangaroa queries as he lounges comfortably back and grabs a luscious looking pair of bright yellow mangoes from behind him.

Maui's mouth starts to water. Tangaroa takes a bite out of one of the sinfully juicy looking mangoes as he hands Maui the other. The demigod reaches out and timidly takes the fruit from the god's hand and Tangaroa smirks. "These are a gift from Te Fiti. Rumor has it, you're particularly fond of mangoes, am I right?" Tangaroa raises a prodding eyebrow as he takes another bite of fruit. He gestures for Maui to eat his.

Maui chuckles nervously, "Well… the rumors are true! Heh heh, they are my favorite fruit." He gives the god a little smirk and takes a bite out of his mango. As soon as the sweet juicy flesh hits his tongue, Maui lets out a barely stifled moan. _The. Best. Mango. Ever_. "Oh wow. These are incredible!" Maui groans quietly as he takes another bite and enjoys the delicious flavor. "Mmh… To answer your question from earlier though, I am here to ask for your help." Maui starts nervously, taking another bite of mango. He closes his eyes for a moment and groans at how so very delicious this fruit is. Maui looks hopefully up at the ocean god as he swallows the delicious bite of fruit.

"Is that so?" Tangaroa replies before taking another bite of his mango. Some juice runs down his chin and he wipes it away with the back of his hand. "And how might I help you, Maui?" Tangaroa asks around the mouthful of fruit.

Maui cocks an eyebrow at his manners. Seems that despite Maui's formality, Tangaroa insists on being casual. Maui decides to just roll with it. He lets out a sigh and shifts his position a little before he looks pointedly at Tangaroa. "Well, it has to do with a friend of mine. He… isn't doing well. He's become sick. Very sick, and we can't seem to be able to help him recover, no matter what we try."

Tangaroa sits up and regards Maui very seriously now as the demigod hangs his head ruefully. The god tilts his head curiously when he sees the tears welling in Maui's eyes. "I…" Tangaroa pauses and sighs, "I heard rumors that a small fleet of canoes set sail from Motunui not long ago and each went to a separate island nearby. I was told healers were brought back from each island. Healers gathered to help the ailing chief of Motunui Island. Is he the one on whose behalf you have come?" The god's ageless face creases with subtle pained lines of sympathy as he looks into the demigod's eyes.

Maui's heart clenches with sadness. "He is." His brow furrows deeply and his lips draw into a taut line.

Tangaroa's expression falls and he rests a sturdy hand on Maui's broad shoulder. The demigod looks up into his eyes with a hopeful expression, but it soon falls when he sees the apology already forming in the ancient god's oceanic eyes. Maui's face twists up into a hurt grimace as tears spring stinging-sharp to his eyes. He frowns and clenches his eyes shut as the tears start to flow, taking the last of his hope with them.

Tangaroa knits his brow together at the hurt on Maui's face. "You are close to him, to the Chief?"

Maui chokes back sobs, forcing his voice to stay even as he wipes tears from his eyes, "He's my best friend's father. He's like a brother to me. He is dying and there's _nothing_ I can do about it."

Tangaroa frowns. His heart hurts for the demigod. Discarded at birth by his family, he never knew the love of a family until now. But, with mortality comes the pain of loss. The fleeting lives of mortals are but a cosmic blink of an eye to an immortal, like him and Maui. The driving factor behind his own seclusion down here in the depths, is separating himself from the unforgiving march of time. All the better to remove himself from the loss of the creatures of the sea, about whom he cares so very deeply. Even the great whales, whose lives span close to a century and a half, pain him greatly when they eventually pass. And their lives seem to him to be among the richest.

Tangaroa closes his eyes and squeezes the demigod's shoulder in sorrowful sympathy, "As much as it pains me to lose someone close, it is not wise to meddle in the preordained. All things come to pass for a specific reason, and so, if it was not meant to be, then it will not be."

Maui looks up at Tangaroa and frowns, but he nods in understanding. He laughs a bitter laugh, not a single shred of joy on his face. "Te Fiti pretty much said the same thing."

Tangaroa lets his hand fall from Maui's shoulder. "I am truly sorry. If I can offer you anything, Maui, let it be this. Cherish every moment with them. For though their lives are short, they are richer and more full of love than any other. Relish what you have, for many of us gods would give much to have what the mortals do." Tangaroa offers a sincere smile that Maui tearfully returns before he gets to his feet.

"I appreciate that you gave me some of your time, Tangaroa. I'll get outta your hair now." Maui says with a respectful bow. He stands and forces a polite smile, though his eyes are red and his heart heavy. Knowing that he can do nothing affects him profoundly. He feels so powerless.

Tangaroa stands suddenly, catching Maui off guard. The demigod stumbles a bit before dropping to his knees in respect.

"No, no no, please! Get up, we are equals here, Maui." Tangaroa urges as he physically pulls the confused Maui to his feet, "I want you to stay for a meal, I was roasting some fish before you arrived. I hoped that perhaps you would join me. Informally, of course. You have such a long journey, and I know that you have not had a proper meal in days. It is the very least I can do."

Maui blinks a few times and his stomach growls. He looks to the partially eaten mango still clutched forgotten in his right hand. He thoughtfully rubs his thumb across the smooth yellow skin for a moment before he looks up at Tangaroa. "Well, I suppose I informally accept your invitation… Thank you, Tangaroa." Maui gives the god a small smile that is warmly returned.

"Excellent, I will just need a few minutes to put the finishing touches on. Please, have a seat." the god says with a sympathetic expression as he rushes to the right side of the cave where a roasting pit smokes gently.

 _I knew I smelled roasting fish…_

Maui takes a seat back on the tapa and finishes the succulent mango as he looks around the fairly spacious cavern. Stalagmites and stalactites jut from most of the cavern. A great amount of light is put off by bioluminescent life forms, in addition to the torches lit around the lounge area where he sits. _It's quaint, in its own… cavern-y way._

Maui gets lost in thought. Humans are so delicate in their mortality and their destiny is ever-changing. The smallest of things can change the course of an entire lifetime. Or, end one. And there is not a single thing that he can do to change that fact. That makes him think of Moana. The very closest friend he truly has ever had. His mind suddenly goes to a very dark place. He sees Moana as an elderly woman, white hair and tired wrinkled skin. Of course she still has that glint in her eye, of adventure, or curiosity. But it's dull. Tired. He holds her small arthritic hands in his huge, unchanged ones and she smiles up at him as she breathes her last. Leaving him very _very_ much alone.

"Maui?" her voice is ringing in his head. He doesn't want her to go.

"Maui!" Maui jolts back to awareness and his blood thunders in his ears as he looks around at the cavern and then to Tangaroa. The demigod blinks a few times as Tangaroa kneels in front of him and puts a worried hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? You sort of drifted off for a moment there."

The fog of his thoughts is slowly clearing and he straightens and clears his throat. "Sorry, yeah. I… I just kinda got lost in thought for a minute." Maui heaves a burdened sigh, trying to shake that last image from his head.

"It's alright. You have a lot going on. Have some food, it will really help." Tangaroa reassures him and hands him a heaping plate of freshly cooked fish, rice and taro buns. Maui's eyes widen at the huge helping. He nods in approval and quietly digs into the delicious food. Tangaroa joins him in silence, allowing him the space to realign his thoughts. He is familiar with the feelings Maui has right now.

After Tangaroa urges him to take two more generous helpings, Maui is at last full and he let's out a burp. "Oops, sorry. Thank you, that was incredible."

Tangaroa chuckles, "my pleasure. I don't get company, so it's a welcome distraction. I hope that you will at least rest for a short time before you leave? Let your meal settle?"

Maui yawns and stretches, feeling quite suddenly exhausted. He starts to mumble an excuse but Tangaroa just smiles and shakes his head. "Maui, I must, once again, _insist_." The god says with a smile.

Maui allows himself a small laugh, "Okay, alright. I'll stay a couple hours. Thank you. Really. Thank you very much, you did not have to do any of this."

Tangaroa dismisses Maui's concerns with a wave of his hand and an easy smile. "This way," He says, urging him to stand with a gesture of his hand. He leads Maui to a secluded area of the cave and places a comfy stack of fala mats and a pillow for him.

With a grateful smile, Maui makes himself comfortable and closes his eyes with a weary sigh.

Tangaroa smiles proudly. The demigod will sleep for quite some time, he already knows that. He is happy that Maui has special people in his life, despite the pain that illness and death brings. Maui is happy. Happier than he has ever been.

x

When Tangaroa sees Maui off seven and a half hours later, it is bittersweet. He knows how much the demigod hurts. But he also sees how much joy these humans have brought him. That makes it all worth it in the end, to have that much love. Whatever happens, he knows the demigod will be stronger for it.

He decides to follow Maui to the surface as a sperm whale. As he steps across the barrier between air and water, his body instantaneously changes shape from man to cetacean. His short pectoral fins lay flat against his flanks as his huge flukes effortlessly propel him out of the tunnel and into the open abyss.

Tangaroa lets out a set of short and powerful bursts of sound. The layout of the seafloor is rendered in crisp sonic relief for a few split seconds. Another burst looking upwards outlines the departing demigod, also in the form of a sperm whale. Tangaroa smiles to himself, the demigod really knows how to pick his forms to suit his environment. The sperm whale is built for these depths, a highly sophisticated diving machine that can practically 'see' with sound.

Tangaroa lets out a loud vocalization to alert Maui and the demigod replies in kind as Tangaroa swims up beside him. They swim in tandem to the surface. Each of them letting out trains of clicks to see what lies ahead.

At last the two sperm whales breach the surface. Held breaths release in a mighty spewing burst as the whales cruise lazily at the surface for a short span.

Maui shifts into the sleek shape of a stellar sea lion and floats comfortably at the surface beside the ocean god. After taking a few breaths, he dives below the surface to look Tangaroa in the eye. The lithe form of the sea lion allows him to contort and move in a very fluid manner, and the playful nature of it makes the god smile again. Maui opens his mouth in a comic display of his sharp teeth before he lazily rolls over and swims up to Tangaroa's nose. He presses the top of his head to the gods nose and closes his eyes.

Tangaroa lets out a strange groaning sound as the whale before he changes forms himself. Now, Maui presses forehead to forehead with another sea lion. He opens his eyes and pulls back from the honi and they surface. Maui smiles again and shifts back to human, a smile still on his face as he treads water. The god of the ocean also shifts back to human and starts to chuckle.

"From one shapeshifter to another, travel safely. Until we meet again, farewell, Maui." Tangaroa says with a subtle smile.

"See you out there, Tangaroa." Maui replies with a lopsided smile. He gives his hook a swing and turns into a dolphin. He dives under the water and then rockets out of it, high into the air. Then he shifts to the giant hawk in mid air and heads for Motunui island.

x


	4. Chapter 4 - Saofa'i

***Author's Note***

 **Hello my cherished readers!**

 **I feel that it is prudent for me to address the content at the beginning of this chapter.**

 **I have done my best to generalize the research I have managed to do about the Saofa'i and 'ava ceremonies.**

 **I do not go into this lightly, nor do I intend any offence to the rich heritage and culture of the Pacific people.**

 **I tried my best to keep it simple and give all terms for traditional items accordingly. If there is ANY part that I got wrong or messed up, please do not take offence, but tell me so I can address it accordingly.**

 **These ceremonies are complex and steeped in rich tradition. I want to convey their importance without alteration of the facts, within the bounds of this fiction.**

 **I do not pretend to know the slightest bit about these ceremonies, and simply did my best to present them according to a first hand account I read that was written a few years ago by an actual Pacific islander in description of his very own Saofa'i.** **Taking h** **is account, paired with research I gathered on the internet, I tried to describe a simplified version that fit my story. I tried to avoid too much detail, for simplicity and out of a deep and humble respect for the Pacific culture and her treasured people.**

 **Their culture is beautiful and speaks to me spiritually and emotionally and I hope to one day experience it firsthand.** **So, with that said, here is chapter four!**

X

 **Chapter 4 *- Saofa'i -***

When Maui finally spots Motunui Island after three days of travel, a dreadful heaviness wraps itself around his chest. He is not looking forward to facing Moana with the replies he received from both gods.

As Maui approaches the shore, he can see that Moana is waiting on the beach. Thankfully, she is alone. Maui slows himself with a few flaps of his wings before he lands on the sand and transforms. When his feet sink into the familiar soft warm sand, it finally sinks in that his week long whirlwind journey is finally over and he lets out a travel weary sigh.

Moana is so relieved to see the demigod has returned safely. But he does not look triumphant at all. He looks downright dejected. Moana's smile falls as she walks over to the tired demigod. When she looks into his eyes, she sees hurt and disappointment. Moana has a feeling she already knows what happened and tears start to well in her eyes as she hugs his chest. Not a single word is spoken for a long span.

When Moana pulls away, she looks up at Maui, holding his forearms with her small hands. "You have the look of disappointment on you. What did they tell you?" Her voice is soft and small, her tone somber. In her eyes, Maui can see that she already knows that the gods said no.

Maui chews his bottom lip for a moment while he gathers the right words. "Well, Te Fiti told me…" Maui pauses, suddenly noticing that the village is extravagantly decorated. "Wait a minute. What's going on, what's with all the decorations?" Maui questions as he looks around at all the red flowers and decorative tapa and torches leading up to the fale tele. There is a lot of red. Red signifies the status of chiefhood.

Moana clears her throat. "The elders began preparations for my Saofa'i three days ago. We are having the 'ava ceremony today and I will be named chief. Then, I will place my stone atop my father's." Moana looks distractedly looks back over her shoulder towards the mountain before looking back at the demigod.

Maui blinks a few times while her words sink in. "Saofa'i… Why are they naming you chief so soon? Wait..." Maui tries to read her expression but his eyes are blurred with sudden tears. "Tui… I… I was too late." Maui's stomach turns itself into knots. He was gone too long, and for nothing. _What a waste! I could have been there for her and instead I left on some ill-conceived mission that was doomed to fail from the start._ Maui's mind reels and his fists clench with anger directed at himself and his foolhardy sense of heroism.

Moana gasps when she realizes what he must be thinking and grabs Maui by the wrists, "No no no no! Maui! It's okay, he's okay! He's still sick, but he's still here."

Maui's fists unclench, "Oh, thank the gods…" he lets out a heavy sigh of relief, tilting his head back and blinking the tears away. "I'm sorry, I never answered your question." his expression is a bit ashamed. Moana shakes her head in forgiveness and wipes her eyes. "They told me that they can't change what's already preordained to happen. Nothing can be done, and whatever happens, happens." Maui frowns.

Moana frowns in disappointment, but not with Maui. She isn't sure why, but she had a feeling that this was something that couldn't be changed. "Maui," she whispers in an apologetic tone.

"I know, pretty shit answer if you ask me." Maui grumbles as he scratches the back of his head and looks down at the ground. He swirls his big toe in the sand. Moana suddenly presses herself against his torso and wraps her arms around him tightly. At first startled by her openness, Maui eventually softens and wraps his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Moana." he whispers gently as he feels her hot tears run down his chest.

"It's not your fault," she says softly into his skin.

After a few beats of silence, Maui pulls away from Moana and takes her shoulders in his hands. He looks down into her red teary eyes, "So, why now? Why not wait to perform the Saofa'i later? Say, at the end of the wet season?"

"The elders decided that it was time to name me chief. They said that with the state of my father's health, it would be simpler this way. They told me I was ready." Moana starts to babble between sobs. "I'm not… I don't... _feel_ ready. For any of this."

Maui hurts for her. His face clenches sympathetically and he squeezes his eyes closed and pulls her into a reassuring hug. "Moana," Maui starts as he opens his eyes and pulls back. He takes her upper arms gently in his hands and looks hard at her, conviction plain on his face, "You _are_ ready." Moana looks up at him with hope in her eyes and a smile grows across her face.

"Thanks Maui." Moana says with a small wash of relief.

Maui smiles broadly, "You've come so far, and remember, I've always got your back, chosen one." Moana smiles gratefully and throws herself against Maui in a hug that he warmly returns. "Okay, okay, let's get going, you have a big day ahead of you!" Maui says with a gentle chuckle.

Moana suddenly gasps in shock, realizing she has to go get dressed and have her headdress woven on and that alone takes hours. "Oh gods, you're right! We gotta go!" Moana says urgently as she pulls Maui by the hand up the beach towards the village and they start running up the hill towards the elders fale.

x

It takes four hours for Moana to get ready, and the majority of that time is spent sitting in the royal fale while her complex tuiga (headdress) is woven section by section into her hair.

Down the hill, Maui has been helping prepare the fale tele for all of the guest seating, arranging fala mats around the large building. In a smaller nearby fale, the 'ava is strained one last time before it is deemed ready.

Maui looks up from folding a fala mat when he hears voices coming from the royal fale. He turns to see what's going on.

Moana has stepped out of the fale surrounded by the elders, all in their finest ceremonial clothes. But when he sees Moana, his heart skips a beat. She looks incredible. All of her clothes are decked out in red. Feathers, shells, paint, flowers. Red designs crawl across the ie lavalava (fine lavalava) she is wearing and her top is completely covered in little scarlet macaw feathers painstakingly sewn one by one onto the fabric. She is wearing her father's whale tooth necklace. Her wrists are adorned with the absolute finest polished kukui nut bracelets. Her headdress, the tuiga, is glorious. It is a stunning palette of reds with bright iridescent white circular shells, cowrie, countless red feathers and a grand spray of vibrant hibiscus red hair. She _looks_ like a chief. _Gods above_...

Maui gets an elbow to the ribs from a villager beside him and he lets out a small startled sound. "You gonna stare at her, or are you gonna finish arranging these mats?" she quips with a smirk.

Cheeks flushed red, Maui mumbles an apology and returns to his duties. The woman just shakes her head and chuckles.

As the elders escort Moana down the hill through the gathering villagers to the fale tele, Maui and the others finish arranging the last of the seats. The fale tele is ready for the 'ava ceremony.

Starting with Moana at the designated head of the fale, her mother and father seat themselves beside her. Maui is given an honorary seat to Moana's left, since he is a demigod after all. The elders then file in and take their seats on either side of the Waialiki family, working in descending order by their rank in the village council. After the elders have seated themselves, a conch is blown by Tulani, one of the higher ranking elders, calling the village to the fale tele for the ceremony.

Soon, the whole fale tele and the surrounding area is filled with people and the elders begin the ceremony. Songs are sung, and everyone has their drink of 'ava as the head of the council, Atamai proclaims Moana's new title of High Chief of Motunui.

It takes around an hour for all the elders and council members to drink 'ava as they discuss the future and their plans and the needs of the village going forward. They talk softly amongst themselves as the mildly sedative 'ava seeps through them.

Gifts are received from the people of Motunui and congratulations are sung to Moana before Tui calmly raises his hands. The gathering falls silent as the old chief clears his throat. Atamai helps him stand to speak. "My people. It is with great pride that I give you my daughter as my successor." Tui pauses to cough, then he clears his throat and continues. "With Moana leading you, I have no doubts that as a people we will grow stronger and braver. We will sail to the ends of the earth and find many new islands and start many great villages." Tui pauses again to catch his breath for a moment. "As your new chief, Moana will always lead you to prosperity and happiness. May she lead you for many, _many_ long years. Moana," he looks now to his daughter and smiles, extending his hand to his seated daughter. Moana looks up to her father and takes his hand with a smile and stands up beside him. "My daughter, it is time for you to place your stone on the top of the mountain, and raise this whole island higher!"

Moana has tears streaking from her eyes as she smiles at her father.

The village erupts in cheers and the people start singing as they file out towards the mountain path. People line each side of the path all the way up and at last, Moana and her father, followed by Sina and the high council members make their way to the base of the mountain. Maui follows beside Tui so the weary old chief can lean on him while he walks.

Tui is only able to walk up to the base of the mountain before he becomes winded and has a coughing fit.

Maui stops and helps him take a seat on a rock. "You need to rest."

Tui shakes his head as he coughs for a moment, "Just for a moment, then we continue. I _will_ climb this mountain for my daughter." Maui nods respectfully and waits with Tui until he stands. They make their way slowly up the mountain with the elders and council members.

It takes Tui longer to climb because she must rest frequently, but Moana hangs back and they walk together all the way to the top.

The elders gather around the stack of ancient stones and Atamai holds Moana's stone as he stands beside the stack.

Tui walks over to Atamai and puts his palm on the cool stone in his hands. "Moana, step forward." Tui instructs. Moana walks over and stands in front of Atamai and Tui. "Chief Moana Waialiki, with this stone, you will, as your ancestors before you, raise this island higher. It will signify your lasting contribution and devotion to this village. Remember those who came before you, and honor them." together, Tui and Atamai extend the stone towards her.

Moana looks to the stack and sees her conch, the one the ocean washed up the day she returned from her fateful journey to Te Fiti. She reaches over to it and picks it up, turning the colorful shell in her hands thoughtfully. Then she looks up at the elder and her father. With a sure smile she places the shell atop the stone and then takes the stone from their grip. She feels the weight of it in her hands. She commits that weight to her memories. Then she turns to face the stack beside her and carefully places hers on top of her father's.

The stone represents her position as chief, and the shell her commitment to her heritage as a voyager. The shell also serves as a reminder of everything she went through to come to this point. That day many years ago when she, as just a small child barely able to walk, wandered to the ocean to collect a conch and decided to help a baby sea turtle instead. When she first met the ocean. The same day the ocean chose her to restore the heart of Te Fiti.

She turns to look back at Atamai and Tui and smiles. Atamai steps forward and pulls her into a honi. Moana smiles and closes her eyes, holding the elder's shoulders.

"We are all so proud of you, Moana. You will be a good leader." Atamai assures her in a soft tone as they pull away from one another.

Now Tui steps closer to her and grips her hands securely. "You are the best daughter a father could ask for. I am so proud of you, Moana." He pulls her into a brief honi before he pulls away with a proud smile. "Let's head down the mountain for lunch. You need to eat before you start your tatau." Tui lovingly tucks a stray strand of hair behind one of her ears.

At that reminder, Moana's stomach lurches. She had forgotten all about getting her tatau! Nervously she nods and turns to face the council of elders and all of them kneel down and bow to her, the new chief. She waits for them to stand and turn around to walk down the mountain.

Maui steps over to Tui and puts a hand lightly on his shoulder. "I can carry you down if it would make it easier on you? There's no need to strain yourself."

Tui takes a moment to consider the demigod's offer. Then, he nods with a few coughs. Maui gently lifts Tui under his arms and knees and carries him down the mountain bridal style.

After descending the mountain, Tui walks Moana down the ceremonial path lined on both sides by every villager, to the royal fale so the elders can remove her tuiga. She then changes into much lighter, somewhat more revealing clothes to facilitate her tatau ceremony. A plain cloth top that has one shoulder, much like her favored cowrie shell embroidered red top, and simple short cloth sarong.

Tui leads her in and presents her to the master tattoo artist, or _tufuga ta tatau_ , Opetaia. Maui waits outside. When he steps back outside a few moments later, Tui asks Maui to join Moana to receive his own tatau as well to commemorate not only Tui's gratitude, but Maui's place among the people of Motunui. Maui's expression becomes deeply grateful, "I would be deeply honored."

Tui smiles and gestures to the doorway and Maui enters the fale. When he looks around, Maui sees the two _tufuga ta tatau_ and Moana in the center of the fale. There are two mats side by side on the floor and Moana is kneeling on one. She looks up when she hears him enter and her whole face lights up. Maui cannot help but smile as he walks over and kneels beside her on the other mat. He reaches out for her hand and waits for her to take it.

Moana timidly reaches over and takes hold of his hand and they both lay down on their stomachs. Their _tufuga ta tatau_ each prepare their skin and prepare their tools as Moana looks anxiously into Maui's eyes. Maui let's Moana squeeze his hand as they both have new ink pounded into their skin.

Both of the _tufuga ta tatau_ sing rhythmic ancestral songs as they immerse themselves in their work. The fale is filled with their voices and the tapping of their tools.

Maui is given designs that fill some of the larger, empty spaces in his calf and thigh tattoos. The _tufuga ta tatau_ adds designs that tell of his strength and connectedness to the people and the sea, including small fish and the unique fala weave design of the people of Motunui.

Moana's are slightly unusual, in that she receives the traditional designs that denote chief hood, the pe'a, which are normally carried by a man, but hers are modified to appear more like the malu women are given. That way, she has the signification, without so much heavy inking. Softer, lighter lines and less heavy color blocking to render a more delicate feminine tatau that still asserts her chiefhood.

As they start to take shape across the small of her back, sides of her hips and around to the front of her upper thighs, Maui is filled with pride at just how well they suit her. The ink designs are strong, beautiful and intricate. When completed over the next week, the tatau will cover from her waist down to just below her knees.

x

After many hours, Moana emerges exhausted from her first tatau session, tender and a little bloody and bruised. Smiling with pride to the elated gasps of Moana's mother and the female elders, Vai and Sulata whom had stayed to comfort Sina. Moana will continue the process over the following days until her pe'a-malu, as her _tufuga ta tatau_ affectionately called it, is complete.

Outside, the council elders and Moana's parents have been singing along with the _tufuga ta tatau_. When he hears the tapa curtains shuffle, Tui shakily gets to his feet from the steps outside the fale and faces his emerging daughter. When his eyes fall on Moana, tears instantly spring to his eyes and fall down his cheeks, a massive proud smile splitting his face.

Her clothes are stained with ink and some ink-darkened blood. The garments are modest and simple but show off most of her fresh marks and as her father follows each line and sees the story that the ink has started, he only cries harder. "Aue… My most beautiful daughter…" he starts through a shaking voice, "You will be the greatest chief Motunui has ever known." His chest swells with pride as Sina, rendered speechless and teary-eyed at the sight of her daughter, helps him walk over to her and both of them firmly embrace her, careful of her tender tatau, but still holding as tight and close as possible. She and her father share a tearful honi, crying through their smiles. Tui us overwhelmed with pride.

Maui steps out of the fale now, and walks up behind Moana, having put his lavalava back over his loincloth for modesty's sake. With a huge happy sigh, he wraps his huge arms around all three of them, pulling the family tightly against his broad chest and lets out a peal of laughter, eliciting a chorus of the same in reply from the Waialiki family. "Nothing like a fresh tatau to bring a family together." Maui offhandedly says with a smile, and Tui, despite his chest congestion and pain, laughs heartily until fresh tears well in his eyes.

"Speaking of tatau," Tui starts, pausing to cough, "let's see yours, Maui!" He finishes with arched brows and the family moves apart and turns to face Maui.

Maui's face darkens with a sudden ferocious blush as all their eyes search his body for his new ink. He's never felt quite so scrutinized. He nervously runs his hand through his hair and shifts on his feet, hesitant. "Uh…" Maui lets out a nervous chuckle.

Moana steps up and puts a gentle hand atop his left forearm, reaching up to his right holding the back of his head. She gently pulls his arm down and smiles up at him. "No need to be bashful, Mighty Maui. Bare them proudly, you earned every strike against your flesh."

Maui's head tilts thoughtfully at her words and he sighs, relenting with a growing smirk. "I suppose you're right, I just don't want to take the attention away from the one who really deserves it today… it is _your_ day after all." he says with a humble smile as he unties his lavalava and unwraps it from around his waist, revealing his legs and the fresh designs within, and around his existing tatau.

Moana can't help but giggle at Maui, "Don't worry, you can't steal _my_ spotlight, demigod. I'm a chief now! That means you can't call me princess anymore either." Moana finishes with a smirk and her hands on her hips. Everyone laughs at Moana's snark as they move closer to examine Maui's tatau.

Maui smiles as Sina, Tui and the two elders, Vai and Sulata scrutinize his _tufuga ta tatau's_ handiwork, still blushing fiercely, but baring his new ink proudly.

Moana's _tufuga ta tatau_ , Opetaia, steps out, all of his supplies packaged up in the cylindrical container he keeps them in, and his four assistants follow him out. Shortly, Maui's _tufuga ta tatau_ , Talaga, steps out with his equipment and assistants in tow. Talaga and all eight assistants exchange farewells with the Waialiki family, to go clean up for dinner, leaving Opetaia.

Opetaia gestures for Maui and Moana to come to him. When they step up to the artist he takes their hands together in his and squeezes before letting them go. "Come with me to the beach so that we may cleanse your skin with the ocean's salty caress."

Moana and Maui make eye contact and Maui smiles with a raised eyebrow at his poetic words and smile before looking back at Opetaia and nodding. Moana shares a honi with Sina and the others before they help walk Tui to his fale so he can rest.

Opetaia leads Moana and Maui down through the village to the gentle slope of the beach where he walks between them, leading them towards the surf. Together, they wade into the surf and Moana winces at the stinging of the salt water, gripping Maui's hand tightly. His brow furrows a bit at the sharp bite of the ocean against his raw skin, but he forces a smile to take over, looking into Moana's eyes to ground her through the burning pain. Silently, Moana stares hard into Maui's eyes as Opetaia wets a soft cloth that he carefully wipes over their tatau one last time before he takes each of their cheeks in his hands and gives them both a honi before departing.

Maui and Moana are left alone in the surf as the sunset renders countless colors across the sky and the surface of the sea like a bouquet of flowers. Maui stares out into the distance and just breathes as the stinging of the salt is replaced by a gentle soothing coolness that puts him at ease. A part of him likes the fact that the new tatau is painful, unlike all his others. It is a rite of passage. You earn it, just like his others, but with the shedding of blood and the experience of intense pain through the process. Gives it that much more meaning.

So far, Moana's lower back, around her hips and the top three or four inches of her legs have been tattooed, including her bum. That part hurts the most right now. She knows she won't be doing any sitting anytime soon. But she is so thankful she has started getting her ink. The pain is totally worth seeing her father cry those proud, fat tears.

Her heart clenches. Her father, despite putting on a tough face for the village, is not doing any better. Moana is terrified for her dad. Each day, he slips further and further into the sickness and it takes more and more of his strength. He can barely eat and he has lost so much weight. Though he is a thickly muscled man, much like Maui, even that has begun to be sapped away by the illness.

The awful thought that she is watching him waste away strikes her aggressively and without warning. Without realizing, Moana has wrapped her arms around her chest, as though trying to keep herself from shattering into a thousand pieces like a delicate sand dollar beneath a careless foot.

Maui's huge hand on her shoulder startles her and she looks up into his deeply concerned face and her heart hurts even more when faced with the possibility of having to explain her shift in mood. A sob rises unbidden in her chest as she cracks, stumbling into Maui's huge embrace, her head hitting his chest heavily as she cries quietly for her father.

Maui is initially given pause because of her behavior, jerking a bit when she collides with his chest, but he quickly feels how much she hurts so he silently holds her. Deciding it would be best not to push for an explanation at all, Maui instead allows Moana to sob out her sorrow against him as the sun slips beneath the line where the sky meets the sea.

He rests his chin on top of her head and gently strokes the back of her head to soothe her. After a span, Moana falls quiet, and with a few sniffles, she pulls her hands up against his chest and presses her fingertips against his skin. Looking up at him from within his arms, she takes a steadying breath and lets it out as he looks down at her, "I don't want to lose him, Maui." She croaks slowly, chin trembling as a fresh wave of sadness threatens to wash away her ghost of composure again.

Maui is gripped with that empathetic clench in his chest at the pain in her eyes and voice. He takes a breath searching for words, but finds none as Moana rests her ear against his sternum. Maui cradles the side of her head with his hand and tightens his other arm protectively around her torso, trying as hard as he can to keep her from falling to a thousand pieces.

x

It is late afternoon and Maui stands at the doorway to the fale where Tui is staying. The weary chief lays quietly on the thick soft fala where his mother passed so many years before. Moana has her forehead on his shoulder and her arms gently around him and he holds her warmly with one arm. Sweat beads on his brow. He has been taken quite suddenly by a strong fever that refuses to break.

Maui slips in quietly and stands in a corner, shrouded in shadow where the dim light from the two torches does not quite reach. He will not move closer unbidden. Only if asked. Part of him hopes he remains unnoticed. He doesn't feel like it's his place.

Sina is at her husband's other side, a hand resting on his chest as she runs a damp cloth over his forehead with her other. Diligent. Watchful. Unflinching in her devotion.

Maui can feel the difference in the molecules of the air. Thousands of years and a bit of demi-godly mojo lends him a keen sense of the world and the ebb and flow of life all around him. He can _feel_ that something is different today. That knowledge makes his heart thud harder against his ribs like a constrained beast.

He loathes the illness that causes so much pain to the people he cares so much about. His fragile, precious _mortal_ friends. That thought sends a jolt through his veins and the tempo in his chest steps up a few notches. He can't do _anything_. He is _powerless_. And that thought kills him. It twists him up inside. His jaw clenches with a brief wash of fury. The mighty Maui, powerful demigod and protector of human kind cannot defeat an invisible and miniscule disease. It's devastating and infuriating and unfair.

The sound of shifting limbs across fala mats rouses the demigod from his brooding and he looks up as Moana leans over her father's head and kisses his forehead. Tui weakly takes her head in both of his hands and holds her in a brief honi before letting her go. Maui looks to Sina and watches her as she wipes his forehead again. There is so much love in his tired eyes, and an equal helping in Sina's as she tenderly smiles back at him. Moana slowly rises to her feet and turns away from her father. She jumps a bit when her eyes outline Maui in the corner, a hand involuntarily rising protectively over her chest before she walks quickly over to him.

Maui opens his arms to her and she does not even hesitate, she quickly steps into his embrace and buries her face in his big chest. She heaves a burdened sigh and squeezes her arms around him and he holds her silently.

Tui coughs roughly a few times and it makes Moana tense in his arms. He sounds worse than he ever has. Weakened. Exhausted.

"Can you walk with me to Gramma Tala's beach…" Moana whispers barely loud enough against Maui's skin, but Maui hears her loud and clear. Wordlessly, Maui takes Moana by the hand. She lets out a small shocked sound before she looks up into his eyes. She was caught up in thought and his touch startled her. His expression becomes tender. An expression that puts a small seed of comfort in her heart.

Maui leads her out of the fale and they walk the path he now knows so well. Down to the water's edge through the leafy underbrush.

The path he walked so many times with Tui. The path he held so many conversations on. Carried armfuls of coconuts, baskets of taro, thousands of kukui nuts. Over the past four years, Maui seamlessly integrated himself into the daily island chores and that alone made him feel more important and more valuable than any fantastic feat ever did. Tui became like a brother to him. They joked, worked, sweated, laughed together. They built islands together. Tui is one of the best friends Maui has made in a mortal man. Tui and his wife Sina are the closest thing he has to family.

Without realizing it in his deep thought, he has made it to the beach. They step out into the sand and walk down to the water's edge.

Moana turns into his chest and presses her ear there, heaving a sigh as her arms wrap tight around his big ribcage. Maui holds her close and presses his lips to the top of her head softly. The breath he draws in through his nose fills his lungs with the sweet scent of her hair and he closes his eyes, assaulted by a sudden and painful dichotomy of emotion. This sudden upwelling of feelings for Moana seem only to have been intensified by the powerful sensitivity brought on by her father's declining health. He is suddenly immensely protective. And then… there is something else. He feels a nervous flutter in his chest. _That_ feeling gives him pause.

Moana hears the sudden disruption of his steady heartbeat and looks up with concern worrying creases on her forehead. "Maui… are you okay?"

Bad timing. He feels his cheeks heat up and he quickly stifles his emotions, horrible timing… ugh. "What? Yeah, I'm fine." he says, just a little fast. I'm really not. He thinks as he reassures her, stroking a hand down the back of her head with a reassuring smile. I have way too much rattling around in my head right now…

He glances behind her and his eyebrows rise when he sees a familiar shape in the surf. He looks back down at Moana with relief tingling in his fingertips, "someone's here to see you." His voice is low and gentle and he sees the goosebumps that rise momentarily on her shoulders and upper arms. That makes him smile a little bit. He's not the only one feeling overcharged with emotions. That's a relief.

Moana's eyes widen as the knowledge of her Gramma Tala's appearance pushes everything else to the back burners. A small smile peeks on her lips as she turns to face the manta ray cruising in the calm surf. "Gramma!" she calls out as she rushes to the water. The spirit lifts from the water in a misty blue cloud that takes the shape of Tala, arms outstretched and waiting for Moana. She has a bright smile on her gentle face that puts Maui at ease.

"Moana," Tala's warm grandmotherly voice fills Moana up inside as she embraces her granddaughter. "Oh look at how much you've grown," the spirit woman lets out a pleased gasp, "and your tatau! Oh! Look at it! I'm so proud of you, little minnow. I always knew you'd go so far!" She hugs Moana so warmly and Moana melts into her grandmother's spirit, finding healing in her embrace.

Gramma Tala looks over Moana's shoulder and looks right into Maui's eyes. Maui swallows hard as his heart stumbles for a second, "And look who else showed up, my favorite demigod." Tala raises a mildly sarcastic eyebrow at said demigod and he rubs the back of his head, avoiding eye contact. Maui manages to smile awkwardly at her as she sort of hobble floats over to him. She stops right in front of him and looks up into to his eyes, leaning up as far as she can before suddenly she snatches his left ear and yanks the demigod down to her eye level, making him yelp out a little sound of shock, a nervous grimace on his face.

Gramma Tala lowers her voice as she speaks in Maui's ear, her tone serious, "Now you listen and hear me well. I have seen the way your eyes follow Moana like a watchful hawk." Tala squints at him pryingly, "I know you feel that flutter here every time you look at her," Tala prods her left index finger firmly against his heart and Maui swallows hard as this old woman reads him like an open book. "You must understand that love is many things, if not sacrifice." Her left hand now rests on her hip, "If you plan on sharing your life with her, understand that you cannot come and go freely. You must learn to compromise, listen to her and hear what she says. And don't ever, EVER shut her out." Tala yanks firmly on Maui's earlobe for emphasis and the demigod cringes, he knows exactly what side of her family she got her spunk from. "She may be strong and defiant and brave, but she is also tender. Don't ever take that for granted." A pinch on his earlobe this time makes one of his eyes squint closed, "I know you carry a great many burdens, but if you share yourself with another, they can help you carry them, you don't have to do it alone." Tala gently presses her left palm against his chest now, her tone shifting drastically. Maui's heart stumbles at the similarity between Tala and Moana. "Now, for the message I came all the way here to tell you. I know my son is very ill, and is not very long for this world. She will need you now, more than ever. Take care of yourself. And my granddaughter." Tala releases his earlobe and pulls Maui into a long honi, a warm, grandmotherly smile on her face. Maui takes a long breath and feels her spirit surround him and comfort his soul.

Maui sighs into the honi and Tala releases him, cupping his cheek before turning back to confront Moana. Maui mulls over her words as he watches the old woman's spirit hobble back over to Moana.

 _Am I that obvious?_ Maui takes a seat in the sand, keeping his distance from the two women out of respect and doodles absently in the sand, thinking very deeply on her words.

Tala stands before Moana and Moana's brow slowly creases deeper and deeper with relief. "Oh, Moana. I am so very proud of you. You have become so powerful and sure. But even so, there is unrest in your heart." Tala tilts her head, considering Moana very seriously for a moment. "I feel the joy. And I feel the crushing anxiety. The weight of your chiefhood rests very squarely and quite heavily on your shoulders." She asserts as she rests her hands on Moana's shoulders. "There is a song, that was sung to me long long ago, when I was only a few years old, by an elder who mentored my mother. May I sing it to you, Moana?" Tala asks, running the backs of her fingers down Moana's cheek.

Moana holds her grandmother's hand against her cheek and nods, "I would be honored."

Tala smiles in that way, showing her emotional connection to this song. At first she softly hums a haunting, ethereal tune, looking out at sea and feeling the flow and the rhythm of the ancient song in her spirit before she begins singing.

"E koe mahino, (you will understand)

You will understand.

Whakarongo ki tou ngakau (listen with your heart)

You will understand

Let it break upon you,

Like a wave upon the sand.

Listen with your heart,

You will understand."

"Whakarongo ki tou ngakau, Moana. E koe mahino." Tala says after finishing the haunting song that gave Moana goosebumps. Moana nods and hugs her Gramma's spirit.

Maui hears Tala start to sing a very old song that strikes a powerful chord in his heart. As he listens, he draws his hook, erases it and draws that familiar spiral from Moana's sail, the same one now permanently tattooed over his heart. Then he erases that and draws a little turtle. He draws the spiral on its shell. _Little honu_. That makes him smile. He looks up to see the two women embrace one another and Tala walks into the water, disappearing quickly into the surf. He watches the glowing ray leap over the waves in the distance and then he looks back at Moana.

He watches her as she stares out at the setting sun. Her hair is alight with the warm orange glow of the sunset and it shines like a halo around her head. Maui cannot stop his wandering eyes from following the curve of her hips down to her strongly muscled calves. He watches her gather her hair atop her head and contain it in a bun with a piece of twine. Then she turns to face him and his heart leaps unbidden into his throat and he tries to nonchalantly tip back onto his right elbow. He mostly manages it. Moana walks over and seats herself in the space beside him, crossing her legs and gripping her ankles as she leans against him with a sigh. She does not speak for a long span, and neither does Maui, both of them content to sit quietly with each other and watch the sun go down as they digest Tala's words.

x

It's a while after sunset and Maui finds himself reclining on his back, staring at the stars, making his own constellations across the star-laden belt of light that arcs across the night sky. Realizing how late it is, he sits up to find Moana's dozing on the sand beside him. He looks up towards the village. Very few torches remain lit, it's after dinner. _Oh… dinner._ He thinks ruefully to himself as his stomach growls. His attention returns to Moana. Strands of her hair drape across her face and she has a little sand on her cheek but Maui can't stop himself from smiling. _She's still beautiful_. He muses as he ever-so-gently brushes the hair away from her face and uses the back of his finger to brush the sand off her cheek. The last sweep of his digit across her cheek makes her eyes flutter open. Maui pulls away and freezes, waiting for her reaction, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest.

"Maui," she starts sleepily, "How long has it been dark?" she slowly sits up and rubs her eyes. Maui relaxes with a smile.

"Not too long, but long enough for dinner to be over." Maui gets to his feet and Moana sits up and watches him. "We should head up and at least get something small before bed. Come on." Maui says with his hand extending as an offer to help her get to her feet. He smiles when she takes it and he lifts her effortlessly to her feet. He keeps a gentle hold of her hand and leads the way up to the village. They manage to rustle up a couple mangoes and a banana apiece to eat before they go to bed, passing out shortly after they lay down on their fala.

x


	5. Chapter 5 - Certainty

Chapter 5 *- Certainty -*

Two days have passed since Moana was named chief. It is mid-afternoon, and Tui is resting his eyes. He knows that Moana is sleeping in the family fale after staying with him all night last night, bless her.

Sina sits across the room from him with Maui, weaving fala quietly. He can hear the surf outside. All seems right with his world and he smiles to himself.

 _Sounds like a rough day on the reef_. Tui chuckles and then coughs softly. He is tired. Weary. He can feel his body giving in to the illness. He knows that he will not come out of this, but he is at peace with that knowledge. The world around him is peaceful.

For the past 20 years, he has watched his daughter grow and mature into a capable, adventurous, and fiercely independent young woman. He is so proud of Moana. He had always known that her independent nature would make her well suited to leadership. Even though she doubted herself constantly, he could tell that her heart was fully in it when it came to loving and caring for the village. He knew that at the end of the day, she would do whatever it took to help the village. Even though she wandered at times and doubted her path in life, she always managed to find her place in the world around her and realign herself confidently.

Tui feels a coughing fit coming on and he takes as deep a breath as his body will allow and is quickly caught up in harsh coughs.

His mind remains unburdened as his body fails. He is proud, so very proud of Moana. He is certain that she will be a powerful and wise chief. His soul finds deep rest in that confidence. In her he sees not only himself, but his people; past, present, and future. He is so thankful that he was able to watch her become who she is.

His coughs are intensifying and he can't quite catch his breath between fits. His body feels like a sinking stone. But he does not fear the creeping darkness. He feels peaceful. The world around him seems to fade away. His coughs turn to tired wheezing.

Tui sees Sina and Maui kneel close by his side through the darkening haze that has settled over him. His energy is seeping away with each breath. Memories of watching his daughter growing up flash behind his eyes. He sees her birth, her first steps, her first words, the first time she ever set foot on a canoe, her first trip with him to a nearby island. He sees her budding wonder for the sea, her insatiable wanderlust. He smiles warmly at those fond memories of what makes her who she is. He is sure he did the best job bringing her up. She will indeed be a great chief, being so similar to him when he was a younger man.

Tui takes a weak shallow breath and reaches for his wife's hand. She twines her fingers in his and clasps her other hand around his. His life partner, his rock. The love of his life. He recalls the first time he ever laid eyes on her. He was a much younger man… in his prime, soon to become chief. And maybe only a _little_ cocky. He chuckles internally as the memories well up.

He first saw her when he was visiting a neighboring island. Her back was to him, but he instantly knew she was the one. She was weaving baskets with a few other women, and singing. God's above, her voice was beautiful. She sounded like a goddess… still does. Tui's heart swells, he remembers walking boldly over to her and plucking a plumeria flower on his way, just so he could tuck it behind her ear and touch her dark curly hair. As soon as he has the flower seated he kneels down onto one knee. She turns to face him as her hand reaches up to touch the flower in confusion. He watches her eyes widen and then he watches her smile.

Tui blinks and looks up at his wife. Sina smiles as she leans close and presses a kiss to his dry cracked lips that Tui weakly returns with a tired smile. "You brought me… nothing but joy… my beautiful wife… I love you so much, Sina."

Sina runs her fingers down the side of his cheek as she smiles down at him with tears running out of her eyes. "I love you too, Tui. You are my rock and my sanctuary. My only regret is that or time together is coming to so soon an end."

Tui furrows his brow, "No… you must release that regret. Our time was perfect, promise me… that you will carry on long after I am gone… promise me." Tui pulls her close for a honi and then he kisses her gently.

After she pulls back from the kiss, Sina nods, "I will… I promise… I promise." She whispers through a sob and cracking voice.

Tui grips Sina's hand as tight as he can, " _Aue, lo'u alofa_ (Alas, my love)," Tui starts haltingly as he looks into his wife's eyes and smiles wider at the tears that flow freely from her eyes, "I must say… _nofo ā_ (goodbye)… Please… tell Moana that I… that I am so very proud of… of what she has become, and that… I love her very much." Tui struggles to speak between weak breaths. He looks up towards the ceiling rafters like he sees something up there. His eyes narrow like he is trying to focus on something, and he furrows his brow. "the ancestors… call out to me. I love you my… dearest one… It is… time… I… answer… th- their call…" Tui lets out a burdened breath and closes his eyes. He smiles as Sina wraps herself around him and he holds her weakly.

"Tui no, please, not yet!" Sina begs as she hugs him close.

Tui lets out a soft laugh, "It's alright my love…"

"No, Tui!" Sina pleads as she desperately strokes her hands across his cheeks and shoulders, begging him with her touch to stay, to hold on a little longer, "Moana, she..."

Tui stops Sina with a peaceful smile and a rather solid grip. "It's alright. Let her rest."

"But…" Sina protests but Tui silences her with a finger pressed to her lips.

"There is no time, beloved. She is strong. She knows. You know. I know. It's alright. We said our goodbyes last night."

Sina sobs, "I'm not ready, Tui… I don't want to let go… not yet… I can't!"

Tui smiles and closes his tired eyes. "No one ever said you had to let go, darling. Hold on to the fond memories and move forward. Goodbye… I love you… so… so much…"

Maui slides closer and puts a comforting hand on Sina's shoulder as he watches Tui's brow furrow in pain for a moment. His heart clenches when he sees the man begin to relax in his wife's arms. A soft smile forms on Tui's lips.

"Tui… _lo'u alofa_ … I love you too..." Sina's voice breaks as his hand goes limp in her grasp. Tui lets out a content hum that trails off into a sigh. " _Tui_ …" Sina whispers in denial as she presses her forehead to her beloved's in a final honi. Tears stream freely down her face as Tui breathes his last. "Farewell, my love…" she whispers in a broken voice before pressing a kiss to his lips and forehead. She holds him quietly for a long span.

Maui sits numbly on the floor. He feels a rush of static wash over him… Tui's spirit rushes out in all directions, and, like a cool breeze, escapes through the door. The fale feels suddenly very empty. Maui blinks slowly, he feels like a massive boulder is crushing his chest. He was not prepared for this. His tears surprise him when they fall on his thighs. He feels so disconnected. He blinks and looks down as Sina turns to face him, her face stricken with grief.

"My Moana… where is she?" She almost whimpers.

Maui hangs his head, "in the fale, sleeping…" His chest is tight.

"Please… get her." Sina asks as she turns back to face her husband.

Maui puts a hand on her shoulder and without looking she squeezes it to acknowledge his gesture. With that, he stands and leaves the suffocating heaviness of the fale to get Moana.

As he walks, Maui cannot help but mull over what just happened. He shudders at the recollection of how it _felt_ when Tui stopped breathing, how the air became still, and static tingled across his skin. How he could feel the soft rush when his spirit left the fale. He gets intense goosebumps as he wishes, just for a moment, that he didn't have the deep connectedness with the spiritual realm so he didn't have to _feel_ Tui _die._ Tears are once again streaming down his face and he roughly wipes them away. Maui wants to vomit, but he quells that urge as he stops in front of the Waialiki family fale. He heaves a great sigh and walks up to the door. How is he supposed to tell Moana?

When he steps into the fale he comes face to face with a softly smiling Moana. Maui's heart instantly plummets. She tilts her head slightly, then she sees the tear streaks on his face and the redness in his eyes. "Maui?" she starts, at first refusing to believe what her heart is telling her.

Maui's brow knits together with the weight of the news he must deliver. He takes a preparatory breath, his heart in his throat. "Y- Your father- I..."

Everything shifts on her face. Her expression twists in disbelief and she shakes her head. "No…" she mutters and pushes past the demigod and out the door. Worried, Maui turns, rendered silent by the shock of her reaction.

Snapping out of his momentary daze, Maui rushes out behind her. "Moana!" he shouts her name just as she disappears in the trees. Maui runs right up to the treeline and stops. For a moment, he is rooted to the spot. He wants to go after her, but he also feels like she needs some time to herself, wherever she went. Maui heaves a burdened sigh and turns away from the trees, walking back up the long path to the royal fale.

Maui quietly pushes aside the tapa and steps into the torchlit fale. In his absence, the elders have gathered to mourn and comfort Sina. Tui's body has been covered in a beautifully decorated shroud. Maui clenches his jaw against a painful stab in his chest. Loss really _really_ _hurts_ , and he was not remotely prepared for just how much his death would affect him. He swallows against the huge lump in his throat; Moana and her family come first.

Thankfully, an elder has at last noticed his presence and taps Sina on the shoulder, pointing over at the demigod. Sina turns around and walks over. Maui swallows hard; seeing the grief on her face hurts him deeply. This is something he can't fix, and that hurts him even more. He just feels so helpless and useless. Sina stops in front of him and cups the underside of his thick forearms with the delicacy of a moth. She already knows her daughter has disappeared, he can see it in her face.

Maui speaks anyway, "She ran off…"

"Do you know where she went?" Sina asks softly, her voice tired but full of motherly concern.

Maui finds himself shaking his head, "I- I'm not sure. I have an idea though. I can go look for her..." Sina stops Maui when he tries to turn and looks him in the eye with a tender ferocity. She pulls his forehead to hers in a honi that lasts for three whole breaths before she pulls back and looks at him. Her gesture drags more hot tears from his burning eyes. The demigod swallows hard with a deeply furrowed brow as the widow holds his face in her hands.

"Thank you. Keep her safe for me again, Maui. She will come when she is ready." Sina lets her arms drop and she squeezes his wrists briefly before letting go.

Maui nods around the knot in his throat, "I'll find her." Maui looks to the elders surrounding Tui, "Will you allow me to honor him with a haka?"

They all silently agree and Maui nods his thanks, casting a forlorn glance towards Tui's body. He clenches his jaw as he watches Sina drape herself over her dead husband and shake with sobbing. He has to get out of this fale.

Heart aching, he steps out of the dim, torchlit fale and into the late afternoon sun. Squinting his eyes against the light, he takes his hook from where it was leaning against one of the support poles outside the door and immediately transforms into the hawk and leaps into the sky, already scanning for Moana.

X

Moana is devastated by her father's passing. Nothing could have prepared her for this pain. When Maui stepped through the door, she could see it on his face and her heart broke. It absolutely shattered. At first, she ran. She doesn't even know why. But she now finds herself at the old lava flow on the beach where Gramma Tala taught her to dance as a child. She stumbles into the gentle surf and falls to her knees, weeping as the rays swim before her. The water laps at her thighs, soaking her lavalava.

Moana does not know how long she has been crying, but she is jolted to awareness by a gentle, strangely familiar hand on her shoulder. When Moana looks up, no one is there, but in the water right in front of her floats her Grandmother as a gigantic manta ray. Moana sighs brokenly and reaches towards the ray and puts her hand on the creature's back. Moana sobs and sniffles as Tala pulls away and circles along with the other rays, allowing Moana her space. She needs these moments to herself.

Moana stares out at the reef as the sun illuminates the blinding white froth from the surf. She lets the tears flow freely from her eyes.

X

It does not take Maui long to spot Moana kneeling amongst the rays in the shallow water, right where he thought she would be. His heart hurts at the sight of her, hunched in the gentle lapping waves on her knees. He descends towards the sand on silent wings and lands a short walk away, just inside the treeline.

For a span, Maui cannot bring himself to move. He can't even transform. His whole chest hurts so much. The sadness crashes over him in waves that threaten to drown him. He closes his eyes and hangs his head as she shuffles over to lean against a tree, leaning heavily on it. For a span he is unable to stop sobbing.

Only after he takes a shuddering deep breath of the salty sea air does he regain some composure. With another deep breath he looks out at Moana and shifts to human. Leaving his hook at the base of a tree, Maui walks to the edge of the trees and stops to watch the rays swim around in front of her. Then, to his mild surprise, the ocean crests in a little curl right in front of her. She extends her hand out to it, palm up, and the ocean touches her palm briefly before receding back into itself.

Maui rubs his face as anxiety churns his gut. He lets out a mournful sigh and steps out of the trees and softly calls her name. "Moana…" His voice breaks at the end of her name and tears sting his eyes. He feels so lost. Like a piece of him has been ripped away and lost to the depths of the ocean.

Moana glances back at the sound of her name and Maui's chest clenches impossibly tighter at the agony showing in her eyes. He walks to the edge of the surf and she turns, in her immense grief, to him.

She clambers to her feet with a splash and sloshes through the shin-deep water over to him with her arms outstretched. Moana collides hard with his torso with a stumble in the soft sand and Maui catches her. Moana collapses into the arms of the demigod who has quietly and effortlessly; and not even fully intentionally become her emotional rock and undeniable best friend. A friend who now tenderly comforts her: the grieving young chief of Motunui.

For a long span, Moana cries against Maui's chest as he cradles her shaking frame. Maui effortlessly lifts her just off the sand and slowly walks into the surf up to his thighs before he sets her down. They stand thigh deep in the warm water, surrounded by the rays as the waves gently lap against them. The rays slide their wings tenderly against their legs as they circle slowly. He has seen the solace the ocean brings her and he is not about to keep her from it.

Maui gently smooths his hand down the back of Moana's head to soothe her as tears stream down his own cheeks hand his chin trembles. One thousand years spent apart from human interaction tends to disconnect you from many of the things that were once familiar. And it is a shock to have the most painful emotions suddenly thrust back upon you after such an absence.

He is no stranger to death and loss. However, his recent memory has been filled with solitude first and foremost. Loneliness eventually gave way to numbness, and as the decades blurred into centuries, his memories of real emotion had all but been erased. This emotional doldrum was then broken by an explosion of life and joy with the arrival of Moana. Now though, as the image of Tui breathing his last right before his eyes dominates his awareness, all of the death and loss he ever had to endure throughout his long immortal life rushes back and slams into him like a tsunami. Immense and creeping and completely all-consuming in its inescapable arrival. He is crushed by it. Drowned in it. Maui breaks, turning inward and weeping as the world around him disintegrates into darkness and howling wind. He had forgotten just what it felt like to lose someone so close. This reminder is unwelcome in its arrival and all the agony it has dredged back up from his long past. He has lost sight of everything, save for the pain of all of his loss, splitting his chest in two.

Eyes red and cheeks streaked with tears, Moana realizes that Maui has become quite stricken all of a sudden. His body quakes as his barely audible sobs shake him. Moana is concerned at the apparent magnitude of emotion he is feeling, and it seems strangely disproportionate, even considering the circumstances. Obviously Maui and her father were close, but Moana senses that there is something deeper to his grief that he is withholding. Something happened to him; he must have lost someone that he still has not really gotten over.

Moana rubs her burning eyes and looks up at Maui. She sees the pain and grief she feels mirrored in the normally very upbeat demigod, but it is as though the demigod's emotions are being magnified greatly. It is when her hair whips across her face with a stiff gust of wind that she becomes aware quite suddenly that the swirling clouds above them are growing more dark and brooding with each passing second. The blustery wind whips the surf into thick foam and out past the reef she sees rain falling in dark sheets. When she looks back to Maui, his face is hidden in his hands and his shoulders are shaking with his sobbing. Moana realizes with a jolt that he is sobbing.

"Maui?"

Maui hasn't been so close to a mortal human since his wife, Hina. He was so terribly in love with her and their children. She was killed by a roaming beast from Lalotai. He couldn't save her. He watched his children age, marry, have children and pass. He buried his generations of his own progeny, all while he remained frozen in time.

The curse of immortality is that you can fall in love, because then you must then watch every one you love and care about grow old and die. Time marches indifferently on. Maui looks down at her with this last thought as the wind whips his hair around roughly. The air is thick and heavy with the moisture of an impending storm. He can feel the change in pressure. The density of his own turmoil churns in the air around him and he clenches his jaw, cursing his emotions. He wants to be strong for her, and yet here he is, blubbering like a child, allowing his emotions to take control. He gets hit with a sudden and powerful urge to run. To fly away before he gets any more involved than he already is. Before he falls in love again...Before he can be hurt again. His muscles tense to move away from Moana. He glances down at the woman holding him and he is torn in two with an agonizing realization.

 _It's too late_.

Moana looks up to find the demigod's deeply conflicted gaze burning into her. She withdraws a bit at his intensity.

Maui is not prepared to admit to how he feels about Moana. Not yet. He cares tremendously for her and does not want to lose her. Seeing her father fall ill and die reminded him of the fragility and brevity of the mortal condition. The thought that he would one day watch as Moana breathes her last as an old, white-haired and wrinkled old woman makes his heart thunder frantic and terrified within his chest. He does not want to go through that pain again. He sobs and clenches his eyes shut, doing all he can to shut that image out of his mind as his thoughts swirl just like the wind around him. Gods, he just wants to fly away from all this, the pain, the sadness, the loss, the _truth_.

There is the more pressing matter of the here and now. And right here, right now, Moana has her hands pressing against his chest. With a jolt he suddenly can hear again; she is shouting his name with worry in her wide, reddened eyes.

"Maui!" Moana shouts up at the unresponsive demigod. He is deeply stuck in his mindspace. And she shudders to think about what horrible things he must be seeing, because his heart pounds beneath her palms like he is sprinting for his very life. The wind is swirling around them and the clouds grow heavy and dark, threatening torrential rain at any moment. Goosebumps wash over her as the warm waves lap at her legs and the cooling air bites at her skin. _Demigod of the wind and sea_ … Her mind whispers and her eyes go wide as a realization dawns on her; he really is causing this storm! "Maui, you gotta snap out of it!" Moana's face is streaked with tears shed for her father, but now fresh hot ones run down her face. She is scared. Scared of what he might create. She thinks about her beautiful island and how fragile it is. A massive storm would devastate Motunui. She is terrified of him losing control.

Or worse, leaving.

Maui's eyes widen and he looks around as awareness returns and he takes stock of his surroundings. He blinks away big tears and looks down at Moana. He grips her shoulders and pulls her against himself and wraps his arms around her, heaving a burdened sigh of relief. He can explain later. His focus has returned, and what matters is getting her, and by default himself, through the loss of Tui. He will not waste a single.moment with her. No. He will have no regrets. "Moana, I'm sorry. I was reminded of some old wounds. I'll explain another time, promise. What is important right now, is that I am here for you and we will be alright." Maui whispers into her hair as he holds her and tears burn his eyes. He allows himself to feel the pain keenly. Because he is, at heart, only human and therefore not immune to the agony of loss.

Moana is stunned silent as he holds her close and mourns freely. Her curiosity nags, but she silences it for now. Maui is right; it's best saved for another time. She misses her father and right now, she needs to mourn because it hurts more than anything she has ever felt. Moana wraps her arms around the demigod's torso and cries against his chest.

Sudden cold raindrops hit her skin and she looks up to see the rain start falling in earnest. The wind howls around them and the surf is whipped to foam. "Maui," she starts, leaning up and pulling his hands from his face. He looks at her, then looks around. Maui sees what his emotions have created, and it clearly bothers him. His eyes meet hers and she can see that he wants to say so much, but cannot bring himself to even form words again. Instead he hides his face in his left hand again, rubbing his teary eyes almost angrily. His mouth is pulled into a hurt frown.

"Sorry…" the demigod whispers between sobs that break her heart more than it already is.

"No, it's okay…" Moana sobs. For once, the ocean mirrors her inner tumult and turmoil in the foaming waves crashing around them as the driving rain soaks them to the bone. She feels like each drop washes away a tiny part of her hurt and sadness, leaving her more healed, drop by cold stinging drop.

Moana looks up into the swirling dark clouds and allows herself to smile a little, closing her eyes against the rain and letting it wash over her as she pulls closer against Maui and rests her forehead on his chest. Her soaked hair sticks to her neck and back but she doesn't care. She hears distant rumbles of thunder against the sound of the surf and rain.

Maui lets out a quiet sob as he tilts his head back and looks up into the weeping sky. He lets his eyes slip closed and he allows the rain to cleanse him. As Moana pulls herself against him, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and holds her as the rain batters his face and eyelids. He feels the tension begin to loosen just a little.

Maui does not know how long he stood with Moana in the water. But it was long enough for his thick hair to lay in sodden clumps down his back and shoulders, sticking heavily to his wet skin. He looks down at a quiet Moana and runs his hand down the back of her head. She looks up at him with red eyes and a sad expression. Maui silently tosses his head towards shore and Moana nods in agreement.

So, he leads her to shore. Maui takes her under a tree that protects them from most of the rain and together, they sit in the sand. She climbs into his lap and he wraps his arms around her and holds her as the rain falls on them.

Maui puts his cheek against her hair and sighs dejectedly, his whole frame quaking with emotion. He sniffles and wipes his nose on the back of his hand and heaves another heavy sigh, eyes closed against the rain.

A sudden clap of thunder makes them both nearly jump out of their skin and Moana lets out an involuntary yelp, startling Maui.

"Woah, woah! Easy, Moana, it's just thunder!" Maui comforts with a slightly wavering voice, pulling her tighter into his arms.

With a whimpering "No it's not," that nearly rips out his remaining heart strings, Moana recedes deeper into his arms and presses her ear to his chest, pulling one of his hands over her head and holding him tightly with her other arm.

Maui holds her protectively against himself, eyes wide as he wonders at her behaviour all the same. _Why is she acting like a frightened child? I know she's not afraid of thunder… I've seen her handle so much worse..._ "Moana, I don't understand…"

Moana is sobbing, Maui can feel her hot tears running down his chest, Another crack of thunder makes her flinch and press even closer against him. "I'm not afraid…" she mumbles, but Maui doesn't quite catch what she says.

"Moana?" Maui looks down at Moana as she presses close to him.

"I said I'm not afraid." Moana repeats a touch more clearly this time, peeling her tear soaked cheek from Maui's chest. She wipes away her tears. She pauses for a brief moment and watches the rain run over his skin, then she presses her palm over the tattoo of herself on her canoe, right in the middle of the demigod's chest. She looks into Maui's eyes and her chin trembles. "When I was very young, I was terrified of thunderstorms. I would cry through the entire storm and nothing could console me."

Maui's brow furrows and he wipes a little snot from his nose, "understandable, but you're older now…"

Moana sighs and looks at the hand she is pressing hard against his chest. She feels the steady beat there and sets her jaw, "My dad loved thunderstorms." Her eyes rise to meet his, her brows furrowed together and gaze hard but not angered, just determined. Tense. Mournful.

 _Oh_ … Maui looks up at the sky just as another bright flash of lightning illuminates the dark clouds. He shies away from the flash, tensing a little in anticipation of the thunder.

Thunder rumbles as Moana explains, "When I was six, there was a terrible storm, the likes of which hadn't been seen in over a decade. I had hidden myself in the darkest corner of our fale and curled up in a ball and just started wailing. My mother could not get me to come out from my little corner. She tried everything she could think of, but I just hid behind stacks of fala mats and cried."

Moana pauses, swallowing hard and choking back a few sobs, "Then my dad decided he would try, so he climbed back to where I was on his hands and knees and scooped me up. He sat down with his back against the beam and cradled me to his chest, took this huge breath and let out a sigh, then he started to sing an old lullaby." Moana's wavering voice catches in her throat as she bites the nail on her right index finger in a thoughtful way. She closes her eyes and clenches her hand. Then she sighs and looks up at Maui again. "The storm raged on outside but my world had narrowed down to just the warmth of his voice as he told me how beautiful the lightning was. How incredible it was that the light created such a mighty sound. He told me the story of Tawhirimāteā and it captivated me."

Moana takes a moment to realign her thoughts before she continues, "The storm continued another hour and with each clap of thunder I tried to keep my eyes open instead of hiding my face. My dad would point and gasp in wonder as each flash of lightning took a different shape as it pierced the sky and I could imagine Tawhirimāteā throwing each bolt from his fists. Suddenly, I was not afraid anymore."

"I could see the pride in his eyes. Now, every thunderstorm reminds me of the calm in my father. His strength and reassurance. In every clap of thunder I can hear my father's voice for just a moment. It is an ocean of calm and wonder. I draw strength from that. Now as I sit here, surrounded by a storm, I…" she chokes on her words, struggling so painfully to finish her sentence and Maui's heart aches for her. "I… feel the… the absence… of my father b-" she sobs, biting her lip to fight back against waves of sadness that threaten to drown her. But she forces herself to voice this, because she knows it will crush her if she doesn't. Her hands run through her sodden hair absently. "B-but the storms s-still come. And ev-even though huh-he's gone, I still have that strength. Nnth-that... that memory of him. He taught me to always be strong, no matter what." her words tumble from her lips without a second thought, effortless now as she comes to terms with her emotional connection to the storm.

"For a moment, that first crack of thunder threatened to take it all away, but without even realizing it, I turned to you. And there it was. The ocean of calm. Everything crumbled away all at once. I wasn't alone in my pain, because I could feel it in you too. It wasn't chaotic. It was measured, like it was in my father. You reminded me that him passing isn't the end of the story, just the beginning of a new chapter. My comfort isn't gone, it lives inside me. It comes from here." Moana puts her hand back against Maui's sternum and takes a deep breath. "Like he always said, ' _you can find happiness right where you are_ '. That's my peace, Maui. I'm not afraid... I just… I really… really miss him."

Maui's heart clenches, overwhelmed by his own emotions coupled with Moana's revelation. The rain pours around them, and occasional claps of thunder crack the sky. Moana presses close under the dripping leaves and Maui draws in a deep, steadying breath. "I miss him too." Maui whispers as fresh tears run from his closed eyes. Settling back against the tree trunk, he pulls Moana against himself and runs his hand over her head as they ride out the storm he accidentally created.

X

Eventually, the storm clears to reveal the star-studded night sky. Moana has fallen asleep against Maui's chest. With a deep sigh and a heavy heart, Maui looks skyward and into the thick belt of stars that arches overhead, peeking through the sparse clouds. He swears he sees a bright new star. He looks out over the ocean and a graceful humpback whale breaches, sending bioluminescent water splashing all around its big body. Maui mentally recites the last line for Tui's memorial haka as he lifts Moana in his arms and carefully cradles her there and he walks back up the hill to the village, pausing just to grab his hook from where he left it hours ago at the base of a nearby tree.

When he steps into Moana's fale, Sina is there to greet him silently with a hug before she directs Maui to the loft where Moana sleeps. Maui carefully climbs the ladder to the loft and walks to where her sleeping fala is and he gently lays her down. He covers her with one of her blankets of soft tapa cloth.

Turning to descend the ladder, Maui comes face to face with Sina. Caught off guard, the demigod takes a step back and stifles a startled gasp.

"Sorry to frighten you, Maui. I wanted to give you these. Thought you might stay with us tonight." Sina speaks softly as she offers him a bed roll.

"Oh, no, it's alright. I don't want to impose on you." Maui gently declines. "Not at a time like this."

Sina frowns and puts the bedroll in his hands. "Please stay, Maui. It is a hard time for us all, but there is no need for us to be isolated." Sina insists, pressing the bed roll firmly into his hands.

Maui furrows his brows with a sigh of concencion, "okay Sina. If you insist. Thank you for your hospitality. You really don't need to do this for me."

Sina smiles at him, "It is the very least I can offer, after all you have done for my village." her hand gestures to the floor beside Moana and she turns around me steps down the ladder.

With a burdened heart, Maui sets up his mat on the floor a few feet away from Moana and lies on his back and covers his lower half with the blanket. He puts his arms above his head and closes his eyes and listens to the quiet around him. He listens to the surf. Hears the gentle wind rustle in the thatched roof. The slow in-out of their breathing. The thrum of his own steady heartbeat whispering in his ears. Maui heaves a great sigh and yawns.

Once he is sure that Moana is soundly asleep, Maui allows himself to drift off to the soft sounds that surround him.

X

In the early hours of the next morning, Sina wakes Maui and Moana. Solemnly they dress and head to the beach where a pyre has already been erected. The whole village surrounds the pyre and as Sina, Moana, and Maui approach, the villagers part so that the demigod and the Waialiki family can stand closest to the fire. Moana stands close to her mother and pulls Maui against her other side, drawing strength from them both as she stares at the pyre with a tight chest.

A conch blows from atop the mountain and as one, the villagers turn to face the mountain. From the royal fale, a procession of warriors emerge from the door. Behind them six warriors carry the body of Tui on a bamboo bier. Slowly, they proceed down the hill to the beach. The villagers start to sing a song of mourning as the warriors lift the bier onto the pyre. The villagers fall silent as the bier is set down.

The warriors line up in front of the pyre and start a funerary dance as the pyre is lit by Atamai, the head elder. The villagers lift their voices again as the warriors are joined by the dancers.

When the pyre burns its brightest, the village falls silent and Maui steps up, facing the pyre. He takes a long breath and turns to face the village. He looks across the tear-stained faces of the village, _his_ village, and feels the haka rise up inside of him, sweeping through his veins and swelling in his chest. The warriors move to either side of him and kneel facing the village. Maui lets out a loud shout and then starts his haka. The old haka was written long ago to honor the life of a great chief. The chief was very powerful and honored among his people. Maui knows this haka will do Tui justice as he shouts verses and dances the powerful haka.

The older villagers start to join in, recognizing the old haka. Their voices join with Maui's and echo off the mountains, then as one they finish the haka and fall silent. Maui walks quietly back over to stand between Moana and Sina.

The village remains quiet save for the sound of the pyre burning. Slowly villagers disperse, returning to the day's tasks, leaving Maui, Moana, Sina and the elders.

This small group sits and watches the fire die down in reverent silence.

As they watch, Maui looks down at Moana beside him and notices that she has her face hidden in her hands. He leans down and puts an arm around her. He looks over at Sina, "Come find me when the fire has burnt out. I'm going to take her to the beach."

Sina nods and kisses the top of Moana's head. She turns to face Maui and puts a hand on his shoulder, looks hard into his eyes and then pulls away, letting her hand slide off his arm as she turns to face the pyre with fresh tears on her cheeks.

Maui clenches his jaw and turns to face Moana. He watches with a heavy heart as she wipes tears from her eyes and gazes towards the burning pyre. Maui puts a careful arm around her shoulders and pulls her close against his side.

Moana looks up and smiles weakly at him with a sniffle. "Thank you." She says softly.

Maui squeezes her shoulder, "Of course. I'm here for you." Maui rubs her upper arm a little, "Hey, you want to walk on the beach for a little bit? Clear your mind?"

Moana's chin quivers as she nods yes and wipes more tears from her cheeks as they streak suddenly from her eyes.

Maui smiles tenderly at her, "Come on," He says with an upbeat gesture towards the ocean. Moana brushes some stray curls behind her ears and Maui pulls her against himself with the arm over her shoulder and engulfs her in a hug. Moana wraps her arms around his big frame and squeezes back. Maui lets out a sigh, releasing some of the tension he was holding before he pulls back from Moana and turns to the village, guiding her with his arm. Moana follows as he walks through the sparse trees that edge the beach until they are further from the pyre. Once they are down the beach a ways, Maui leads Moana out of the trees and onto the old lava flow where Gramma Tala taught her to dance. They walk out to the edge and stare across the ocean.

Maui starts to hum an old song that Moana soon recognizes as one from her childhood. She closes her eyes and listens for a short time before she starts to hum along and sway to the beat. Soon, Maui finds himself swaying too and he starts to sing the words with a little more confidence as they begin to dance. Maui is smiling as he sings and they dance together. Moana finally gives in and starts to grin at his smile. She can't help but feel good when he smiles. As their dance ends, they walk to the edge of the flow and sit down, dipping their feet in the sea.

"I really miss him, Maui." Moana says quietly, her expression somber but her tone even and confident, despite her sorrow.

"So do I... Yesterday was not easy for me and I am sorry I was so distant. I had a lot of memories swirling around up here." He apologizes with a tap of his first two fingers against the side of his head with a glance down at her before he looks back at the sea, watching the waves break on the distant reef.

Moana looks thoughtfully up at the demigod as he looks out across the ocean with a pensive expression of his own. His brows are drawn together and his lips loose but down-turned in a very subtle frown.

Moana puts a hand on his thigh, "It's alright, you've lived a lot of life… sometimes I forget just how much you've seen. Don't apologize for it." Moana reassures him and he nods back at her with a subtle but grateful smile.

X

Sina has walked down the beach and finally sees her daughter sitting on the beach beside the demigod. Their feet are in the water and they seem very comfortable around one another. Moana is smiling. The demigod makes her so happy, and for that she is grateful.

The pyre has burned out, and with it, her husband's body. Sina feels lost, lonely, half empty now without Tui. She misses him, and she knows Moana does as well. Sina sighs wistfully as she makes her way over to them.

"Moana," Sina starts and both of them look over at her.

"Mom…" Moana starts as Maui stands beside her and helps her to her feet.

"Sina."

"Hey you two, just wanted you to know that the pyre has burned out. I would like to collect some ashes with you, Moana. If you are ready." Sina

Maui helps Moana collect a bowl of her father's ashes from the center. He flies her to the Chief's peak. Moana fills the conch she placed atop her stone with some of his ashes, rotating the shell around and around so the ash is carried deep into the spiral of the shell. Then, she places the shell atop her stone. Then Moana carries the carved wooden bowl with the remaining ash to the edge of the cliff. She stares out over the reef, watching the surf. "Goodbye, Father." She whispers as she pours out the ashes. The wind catches them and spreads them across the island as Moana clutches the empty bowl to her chest and sheds a few silent tears. Maui stands behind her and wraps his arms around her shoulders. Sina walks up and stands to Moanas left and puts a hand on her daughter's shoulder as they all watch the ash float away on the breeze.


End file.
